


Homecoming

by Clowns_or_Midgets



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Family, Gen, Hurt Sam Winchester, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-02 15:30:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14547792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clowns_or_Midgets/pseuds/Clowns_or_Midgets
Summary: Lucifer was the creature that haunted Sam’s dreams. He was the one that had tortured Sam and almost destroyed his soul. He was the one offering Sam what he wanted more than anything in the world. He was also the one creature Sam swore he would never say yes to again. All it would take was one simple word and Sam would be with them again. It was the one word he couldn’t say.AU from 13.21Beta'd by JenjoremyPre-read by Gredelina1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much Jenjoremy for the amazingly fast beta job. You dropped everything, and I love you for it. Thank you also Tempestuous Ocean for helping me work through the original idea. You're an absolute star.
> 
> This story happened to me like a few others have. I saw the last episode and I couldn't handle the ending. Sam's look of guilt when they saw Lucifer behind him. It was wrong. He would never have made that choice. He said yes to Lucifer again, and I can't imagine anything tearing him apart more. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about it, and I couldn't write this morning with that in my head. I had to do something about it. This story was born. I am not sure how long it will be as I am aiming to have it finished before Thursday, but it's at least 3 chapters for sure. I have plans people.
> 
> If Sam's choice felt wrong to you, too, this is the story for you. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Clowns or Midgets xxx

Sam turned away from the rabid, snarling vampires, held back by Lucifer’s will alone, and looked into the face of the being he hated above all others. Fury rolled in his chest at Lucifer’s smug expression. He had seen it so many times in the Cage and it had seared itself in his memories along with the horror of what had happened to him there. “What do you want?” he shouted.

“I want what you already have,” Lucifer said, sounding reasonable and sane, a stark contrast to the cruel madman Sam knew him to be. “A relationship with my son. Okay, there was a time when I’d just, you know, grab him, but I’ve grown.”

Sam scoffed. “Yeah, sure you have.” Lucifer was unable to achieve growth. He was trapped in the mindset of the spoiled infant he had been at the time of his fall. Sam knew this better than anyone. He had suffered under him for almost two centuries, and he knew Lucifer could never change.

“I have Samuel,” Lucifer said. “I want my son, and you’re going to help me.”

It was no surprise that Lucifer wanted Jack, but it was a point of fear. Jack was good, purely good right now, but what influence would Lucifer have over him? Would Jack lose the part of himself that made him more human than angel? The part of him that came from his mother?

“How?” Sam asked, angry with himself for even asking the question. It was the human part of him that asked. He could hear the vampires behind him, snarling and wanting nothing more than to sink their teeth into his flesh. He didn’t want to die again.

“Well, I don’t think he’ll give me a chance unless I come bearing gifts.” He pressed a finger to Sam’s chest. “Yes. That’s you. Look, Sammy, I’m not asking you to like it, or like me; all I’m asking is that you acknowledge the truth. That I was the one that brought you back to life, and I was the one that lifted you from the darkness and into the light. Okay? Apocalypse world. Michael’s armies. Do you really think you and your family can handle that alone? You need me.”

Sam was torn. He could be right. Michael in this place was an overpowering threat. He had destroyed this world, but was that what mattered? This world was already doomed. They hadn’t come to save it. They had come for their mother and Jack. They were the mission. It was already complicated by the fact Lucifer’s grace was no longer keeping the rift open. They had to rely on Rowena and themselves to find a way to do that.   

“And what if I say no?” Sam asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer to his question.

Lucifer sighed. “All right. Let me just make this really, really easy—easy enough for even you to understand, Sammy. I’m getting to Jack. One way or another. The only question is, you coming with, or that?” He pointed at the vampires that were fighting against his influence to be free to attack. “Your move champ. Yes or no?”

Perhaps if he had framed it in any other way than that, Sam would have been swayed. He would have said yes for all the wrong reasons. He would have justified it as him saving rather than giving in. He would be there to protect Jack from Lucifer, to find a way to ground him in goodness. He would have seen Dean and Mary again, to be with them the way he had desperately wanted to. He would be there to fight. He would have been another mind put to use in the fight to find a way to get themselves home now they didn’t have Lucifer.

But he had said the wrong thing. Yes or no. Sam’s answer was immediate in his mind at the question. He could never say yes to that creature again. He couldn’t let himself. A yes had destroyed him before. A yes had almost destroyed the entire world. In that moment he didn’t think of all the good things he could do by going with Lucifer, even though it came at a risk. He just thought of what it had cost him before and what he couldn’t allow to happen this time.

“No.”

Lucifer looked incredulous. “No? You’re seriously saying no to this? You do know what this means, right? I will leave you here to be destroyed by those vamps, and they look pretty hungry to me. You will be killed, and this time I guarantee there will be no miracle rescue. You will die, Sam!”

“No!” Sam said brutally. “I won’t help you! Not this time. This time I am making the right choice. I am trusting the right person.”

“Who?” Lucifer asked.  

“Myself. If this is time my time to die, I’ll die. I made my peace with that a long time ago. I cannot make peace with doing _anything_ for you.”

Lucifer threw his hands up. “Fine. You asked for this, Sam. When I do find Jack, and your family, I will tell them about this. They will know you had the chance to live for them and you chose not to. How do you think they’ll feel about that?”

“They will understand,” Sam said. He was confident of that. Dean knew how he felt, and he would never want Sam to deal with Lucifer. He would know Sam couldn’t do that after what had happened at the archangel’s hands before.

Lucifer’s eyes glowed red as they fixed on Sam. A cruel smile curved his lips as he said, “Goodbye, Sammy,” and snapped his fingers. He disappeared just as a cry of triumph sounded behind him and the vampires flew at him.

 Sam knew fighting wasn’t an option. Flight was useless, too, but he couldn’t not try. Dean would expect him to try, need him to, and he wasn’t the only one. Sam wasn’t just fighting for his brother now. He was fighting for Mary, Jack and Castiel, too. He had to die knowing he had done what he could to be with them without sacrificing the right thing.

He made it a few feet into the cavern he’d been dragged from before, toward the dim light, before a weight fell on his back and forced him forward. There was a searing pain in his throat as teeth bit into him and he felt his blood being pulled out of him and into the vampire’s mouth. It was sickening, and he wanted to stop, to get it over with, to die, but love for his family pushed him on.

With the vampire still clamped onto him, he dragged himself forward toward the light. It felt right to him that he die with sunlight on him. To be a part of the world, not a man dying in darkness. More weight fell on him and forced the air from his lungs in a pained huff.

Teeth sank into the right side of his throat, and he felt the drain again, but there was something different to how it had felt before. He was being fed upon but he still felt strong. He should be unconscious or dead, but he didn’t feel the overpowering weakness that usually came with blood loss. He felt angry. He didn’t understand it, but he wasn’t going to take it for granted. Something was powering him and he was going to use it.

He raised his head and tried to force himself up. He dislodged one vampire from him, but another soon took its place, knocking him down again and expelling the air from his lungs. He turned his head to the side to draw air, and felt the vampire pressed against him. It felt foul, sickening, but still he lived.

He shook his head in an attempt to dislodge the vampire, and saw a glint at the edge of the light cast from above. Without thinking, Sam reached for it with a shaking hand, and his fingers touched cool metal. Disbelievingly, Sam dragged it towards him, cutting his fingertips in the process. It was his machete; the blade that had fallen when he’d first been attacked.

Sam felt a surge of hope as he struggled to reach the handle. He would not survive this. He was clearly only alive by the adrenaline that rushed through his veins, but he was going to use it. He was going to fight until the end, however soon that came. He would perhaps be saving someone else that used this tunnel after he was gone. Maybe they’d find his body and see the man with the bodies of the vampires he hoped to kill, and they would know he was the one that made it possible for them to get through. That seemed a worthy task to end with.

Gripping the handle, he arched his back and toppled the vampires that were clinging to him. He felt them fall away, their teeth tearing into him as their grip on his throat broke. He crawled forward and then scrambled to his feet with his back pressed against the wall. The vampires he’d dislodged, their lips wet with Sam’s own blood, stood opposite, crouch and ready to spring, and Sam took the split second to breath in and prepare.

The two that had just fed from him sprang and Sam swept the blade through the air. One vampire fell as its head was parted from its body, but the second was on Sam. Its teeth bared, it leaned into Sam’s throat again, and Sam slashed with the blade.

Sam gave a triumphant roar as the blade cut into its chest, and the vampire pulled back with a strangled cry of pain. He corrected his aim and cut off its head, but there was already another vampire taking the dead one’s place. Sam stopped focusing on ending them and just dedicated himself to keeping them at bay with slashes from the machete. The metal found chests and arms, faces and shoulders, and in one lucky case, a neck which was severed.

Sam didn’t understand how he was still alive, but he wasn’t going to squander the opportunity by thinking about it too much. He continued to fight against them constantly, his heart pounding in his ears and his breaths coming in pants. They didn’t retreat from his onslaught, but some stayed further back. If they weren’t rabid, Sam would have thought they were waiting for him to exhaust himself before attacking again, but their eyes showed no intelligence, only hunger.

Sam didn’t feel exhausted though. He felt strong and alive, more than adrenaline could account for. Something more was happening to him; he was powered by something that wasn’t human.

He took the head from another vampire with a lucky swing, and the one that came to take its place stumbled. Sam used the moment to cut at its neck, and two pieces dropped. One less vampire to attack. The tunnel floor around him with becoming crowded with bodies and wet with blood, some of it Sam’s own. One vampire got close enough to sink its teeth into Sam again, and he jabbed down with the machete, cutting into its groin and spilling a freshet of blood. It lurched away and Sam used its capitulation to cut off its head.

He looked at the vampires still facing him and realized their number were far fewer now; in fact, there were only a handful left. Some of them bore the bloodied gashes of Sam’s blade, but there were two that were unharmed. They seemed to be the ones that had retained some modicum of intelligence and control, as they weren’t the ones attacking straight away.

This time, he didn’t wait for the vampires to come at him; he rushed forward with a cry of anger. They collided and Sam was slashing again. A haze of fury descended over him and he fought with everything he had to win. He was fighting to live. For Dean and Mary, Jack and Castiel, he was going to give it all, and possibly win. By some miracle he was on his feet, and he wasn’t going to give up.

He didn’t realize it had happened until he swung the machete through the air again and met no resistance. The haze seemed to drain away and he looked around him. The floor was littered with pieces of vampires, but there were none standing. He had killed them all.

“I did it,” he breathed, and then his voice became a bellow. “I did it!”

He had never faced a worse fight, and he had come out alive. Even defeating Lucifer in his mind had felt less than this. He was fighting for control then, control that would enable him to throw himself into the hole forever. This time he had been fighting for his life, for the people he loved, and he had won.

“How?” he asked the silent cavern. “How did I win?”

He brought a hand up to wipe at his face and realized it was shaking. He didn’t understand. He was alive, but he shouldn’t be. He shouldn’t have been able to fight like he did. He shouldn’t even have been conscious with the amount of blood the vampires had taken from him. Whatever had happened, he’d had help. He wondered if it was God. Had He seen what had happened to Sam and given him the strength he needed? He hadn’t come when Dean had prayed for Him to save Castiel, but maybe He had come for this.

However it had happened, Sam was alive and he needed to move. Dean was out there, Mary, Jack and Castiel, too, and Sam needed to see them. More, he needed to warn them about Lucifer. They had to know he was there, too.

He stepped over the bodies around him and picked up his flashlight from where it had fallen when he’d been attacked by the vampires. He gave the bodies one last look of loathing and then he headed along the tunnel.

He was going to find Dean and the others. He was going to tell them about Lucifer, warn them, and then he was just going to look at them, see the faces he never thought he would see again.  

The faces of the people he loved.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_ **

 

Dean felt hollowed out. There was something missing from him. A vital part of himself had been torn out and left behind in that tunnel. He needed it back.

It could never come back.

Sam was dead.

He wished he could cry it out, share this feeling with the world. He wanted to give voice to his pain and make everyone there know what had happened. They needed to know that the person that was gone from the world had left a hole in it as well as in him. Sam’s loss had to be felt by them all. They all needed to mourn because that was what Sam deserved. They might not have known him, so few in the camp had even met him, and this wasn’t the world he had saved, but they should understand anyway.

Sam was gone.

There was no miracle resurrection possible. They couldn’t save him. God wouldn’t help, as he hadn’t throughout the seemingly endless walk it had taken to get him here, despite the fact Dean had silently prayed to him with every beat of his heart. He had pleaded and bargained. He had told him that he owed Sam. He asked him to come back and make it right. God had ignored him. He had let them all down again. He was with Amara. He had his family, so he no longer seemed to care about theirs. It was Dean’s world that had been torn apart.

Dean’s grief was silent. Mary’s wasn’t. She sat in the hut behind him, on the floor where she had crumpled when they’d gotten here, crying into her hands. She was ruined, and Dean knew there was no repairing that, as there was no repairing him. They had lost everything but each other, and Dean didn’t know if either of them would be able to bear looking at the other knowing what was missing.

Castiel was with Jack, watching him pace as he spoke his denial into the air. The kid obviously didn’t want to accept it. Dean understood. He didn’t either. It was only the fact that he had seen it happen, that the image was seared into his brain, that stopped him being able to deny it. Dean wished he was Jack. He was hurting, sure, but he had the benefit of being whole still. Dean was the one that had lost a part of himself.

He watched as Castiel reached for Jack’s shoulder and Jack shoved him away. “Couldn’t you bring him back?” he asked, looking past him to Gabriel, his voice raised and accusing. “Why didn’t you bring him back?”

“I’m not strong enough,” Gabriel said, sounding like he was actually upset.

Was it possible that, after everything he had done to Sam, he cared?

Dean knew what Sam would say if he was there: Gabriel didn’t give a damn. Sam would be amused at the idea even. He had suffered the most at Gabriel’s hands with the stream of endless Tuesdays. Dean had been the one that had died each day, but Sam was the one that had watched and remembered. There was nothing worse than that for either of them. They couldn’t lose each other and go on. And that was what Dean was supposed to do now. He was supposed to get on and live without Sam. He needed to do what he had come to do: save his mom and Jack. He couldn’t think about that though. There was something that mattered more to him. Something he needed to do.

He needed to get Sam back.

He couldn’t give him life, though he would sacrifice himself in a heartbeat if it would save Sam, but he could give him the funeral he deserved. He couldn’t leave Sam in that tunnel with those things. Sam deserved to have one last act of dignity and love given to him. He should have his pyre. Dean needed to do that for him, look at him one last time and say goodbye. He hadn’t had that chance before.

It would be easy to hate Castiel for stopping Dean going to Sam, but it would be wrong. Castiel had been right when he said it was too late, they couldn’t save him. Dean had known that the moment he saw the spray of blood from Sam’s neck. Even in a hospital with an army of doctors, Sam would have died. The injury was just too great.

What Castiel had taken from him was the chance to die with him. Sam had said it himself. If they were going to die, they would do it together. Dean hadn’t been able to do that. Sam had been alone with those vampires when it happened. No one had been able to tell him it was okay. That was what Dean did. Even when things were wrong, when there was no chance, Sam heard Dean say it was okay. He had been able to do what a big brother should. He hadn’t done that this time. He had failed Sam.

He would not fail to give him his funeral though. He would let Sam be laid to rest surrounded by the people that loved him and that he had loved in return. He would do that for him. Even an army of vampires couldn’t stop him. They would all die for what they had done to Sam.

He opened his backpack and took out the water bottle. If he was making the trek back, he was going to need basic supplies. As tempting as it was to give up all human needs and languish, he needed to be strong enough to avenge Sam and bring him back to be laid to rest.

He filled it at the water barrel and capped it. He heard movement behind him and turned to see his mother. She wasn’t crying anymore, but her cheeks were wet. Her eyes were the most changed part of her devastated face. They looked like they were empty. Was she hollow now, too? Had Sam taken a part of her with him the way he had Dean?

Sam wouldn’t have believed it. He had thought Mary loved Dean more. She’d seemed closer to him than Sam when she’d returned. Sam had seen surface things whereas Dean had seen the truth. Mary had connected him with as she knew him already, albeit as a child, and she didn’t harbor the same kind of guilt that she did for Sam. She felt guilty that she had cost Dean his childhood, but she felt worse for the fact Sam had been the one to pay for the deal she had made. Everything that happened to him was a result of the demon blood Azazel infected him with. All that had happened since that moment was because she had chosen to say yes and save John. Dean and Sam wouldn’t have existed if she hadn’t, but to not exist would sometimes have been better than what they lived through. Endless hunting. Demons and monsters. Hell. The apocalypse. The Cage. It had all happened ultimately because of a deal.

“We have to go back,” Dean said to his mother, swinging his bag over his shoulder. “Get his body.”

She didn’t speak, but as he walked away she fell into step behind him, and he knew she would come. She wanted to do this for her son as much as Dean did. It was all that was left to them.

Castiel had been watching Jack as he mourned, but as Dean and Mary passed him, he walked toward them. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“To get Sam.”

Jack’s head snapped to them. For a moment he looked hopeful. “You said…”

“We’re going to get his body,” Dean clarified. “I’m not leaving him there.”

Jack’s face fell. “Oh.”

“This is a bad idea, Dean,” Castiel said.

Mary held up a hand to silence him. “We need to do this,” she said. “I need to.”

Dean understood. She needed to see him. She hadn’t been there for those final, horrific moments of Sam’s life. It wasn’t real to her yet. Only seeing his body was going to make it possible for her to really believe.

“He is surrounded by rabid vampires!” Castiel said fervently. “You will be killed trying to get to him.”

“No,” Dean said flatly. “I won’t.”

Not this time. This time he wouldn’t allow himself to be beaten by them. He was going to win, and they were all going to die. He would avenge his brother and bring him back to his family.

“You cannot believe you will make it to him and out with Sam’s… with Sam,” Castiel said. “They will overwhelm you. You will be killed for this, a fool’s mission.”

Dean’s hands fisted. “It’s for Sam,” he said. “He needs this.”

“Sam needs you to _live_ ,” Castiel said, his voice impassioned. “He would never want you to do this. You know that as well as I do. He wouldn’t want you to die for him.”

He didn’t understand. Dean could see his friend was hurting, but he didn’t feel it the same way as Dean did. He couldn’t. His life hadn’t been torn apart. There wasn’t a vital piece of him missing.

“He wouldn’t want to be left in that place either,” Dean said. “Not in the dark with the monsters.”

Mary winced. “We need to give him a funeral.”

Castiel shook his head, his eyes sad. “I want that, too. I want to see him and say goodbye, but I know it’s not what he would have wanted. He would never have risked another life for this, especially not someone he loved. You need to keep yourself safe and whole for him now.”

And that right there was the point. Dean wasn’t whole. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that seeing Sam’s body was going to heal the cavern inside of him, but it would at least be something. He would be able to say he had done this last thing for his brother.

“Cas is right,” Gabriel said, stepping up to the group. “Sam wouldn’t want this.”

“You know him so well, do you?” Mary snapped.

“I know enough. I know what he was like at his most ruined point. I saw him suffering. I _made_ him suffer. I saw him at that place when you were gone, Dean, and he was begging me to bring you back. I saw how much he needed his brother alive, and that won’t have changed just because he’s gone.” He looked at Dean. “You know I’m right.”

“Sam doesn’t get a say,” Dean said through his teeth. “He’s dead.”

Mary made a jerky movement, as if she was going to reach for him, but she changed her mind at the last minute. Didn’t she want to touch him now? Did she see Dean’s guilt in this as clearly as he did?

“He is,” Gabriel said solemnly. “And you want to join him.”

All eyes rested on Dean, but he didn’t meet any but his mother’s.

“I do want that,” he said, speaking only to her. “I wish it had been me, and if it couldn’t have been, I wish we could have gone together. That was how it was supposed to have happened. I am not giving in to that want though. Sam fought to get us here, to save you and Jack, and I’m not throwing away my chance to finish that for him.”

“Throwing it away is exactly what you’re planning to do though,” Castiel said. “Please, Dean, don’t do this.”

Dean turned away and adjusted his bag on his shoulder. “I’m going.”

“I’ll go,” Jack said, and Dean’s attention snapped to him.

“What?”

“Vampires can’t hurt me,” he said. “I will be able to kill them and get to Sam. You don’t need to risk your life for this. You can stay here, and I will bring him back.” He looked imploringly at Mary. “Let me do this for him, for us all.”

Mary glanced at Dean. He didn’t meet her eye. He was staring at Jack. The kid looked so sad. Even though it was only an echo of what Dean felt, he _was_ in pain. Jack stared back at him, his eyes imploring Dean to agree. He really wanted to do this. He wanted Sam to have a decent end, too.

“Are you sure, Jack?” Castiel asked.

“Why not?”  Jack asked. “I’m the only one they can’t hurt. I’m the one that can do this for him.”

“The kid’s got a point,” Gabriel said. “Hell, I don’t want him there forever either, but we don’t need to risk lives for it. He can do it alone, and you guys can stay here where it is infinitesimally safer.”

Dean knew he was right, Jack could do this, but he couldn’t let him do it alone. Dean had left Sam behind once. He wouldn’t do it again. He had to be there for him. Jack could get them there, and they could bring Sam back together.

“Yes,” Dean said. “You and me, Jack. We’ll go.”

“I’m coming,” Mary said decisively.

“And now we’re back to everyone dying,” Gabriel said.

“I won’t let anyone be hurt,” Jack said seriously.

“You might not be able to control it,” Castiel said. “There are more than vampires out there. Angels roam this world.”

“I can handle myself against angels, Castiel,” Jack said. “I have been here a long time and I have learned. Haven’t I, Mary?”

“You have,” Mary agreed. “He will be able to take care of me and Dean.”

“No, Mom,” Dean said. “You stay here.”

He had faith in Jack to take care of him, but he also knew he wouldn’t be a loss if Jack failed. Mary would be. She had set this place up with Jack to help people. Dean wasn’t needed for that.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because you’re needed here,” Dean said. “Me and Jack will go get Sam and you can take care of the people here. We’ll come back with Sam.”

Mary looked as if she was seeing right through to his soul, searching for Dean didn’t know what. 

“Please,” he said quietly. “Stay, Mom.”

“You’ll come back?” she asked.

“I will keep him safe,” Jack started, but Mary held up a hand and he fell silent.

“I will come back,” Dean promised. “And I will bring him with me.”

She nodded and wiped a hand over her face. “Okay. Stay safe. Both of you.”

“We will,” Jack said. “I promise.”

Mary touched his cheek. “I know you will.”

She turned to Dean and looked as though she was going to touch him, too, but Dean pulled back and said, “Let’s go, Jack.”

Dean set off walking and Jack fell into step at his side. He felt the eyes of the others on them as they walked away, but he didn’t turn back. He was focused on one thing only.

Getting to Sam.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean stared at the corrugated iron panel that created a door for the tunnel, and he took a breath. He almost expected the vampires to spill out at them immediately, ready to take down the last Winchester brother. They could try. They would fail against Jack

“Is this the place?” Jack asked.

“Yeah. He’s in there.” He raked a hand over his face and focused on what he was doing here. “There’s a cavern about halfway down and Sam was taken from there.”  

Jack walked forward and lifted the panel to enter. “Stay close behind me, Dean,” he said.  

“Hold on,” Dean said. He opened his bag and pulled out a flashlight and machete. “We need these.”

Jack eyed the machete but didn’t comment on it. Dean knew he was here with Jack so that he wouldn’t need to fight, but he wasn’t going to give it all over to him. If he had a chance to end some of the creatures that had taken Sam from him, he would take it. He would have his revenge.

He clicked on the flashlight and followed Jack into the tunnel. Being back in this place of horror felt so wrong. He had suffered the worst loss here, and now he was revisiting the source of it. It was only that he was doing it for Sam that made him keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Jack walked with purpose, not seeming to need the glow cast by Dean’s flashlight. Dean supposed angel vision wasn’t dependent on things like light. Dean stayed as close on his heels as he could.

They had been walking five minutes when Jack said, “No one has attacked yet.”

“I know,” Dean said heavily.

They’d made it out without being attacked again, but Dean had assumed that was because the vampires had something—someone— to slake their thirst for a while. He had thought that the vampires would have spread out again by now, would come toward their footsteps.

“They’ll come,” he said confidently. “There were a lot of them.”

They had walked along further when Dean noticed the lightening at the end of the tunnel. They were close now.

“It’s just up ahead,” he said. “That’s the spot where they attacked us.”

Jack hurried his pace, jogging towards the light. Dean rushed after him, slamming into Jack when he came to a sudden dead stop. He stumbled backwards. “What…?” he started, but cut off as Jack walked forward into the cavern and Dean saw what had made him come to a halt. Vampires. The tunnel floor was littered with pieces of decapitated vampires.

It looked like a massacre. There were so many of them, and they were all slashed and torn. Whoever had killed them had made them suffer first.

“Angels,” Jack spat.

“You think?” Dean asked, looking around at the carnage, expecting to see an angel appear in front of them, blade drawn and ready to test Jack’s power.

“It has to be,” Jack said. “Who else would be able to overpower this many? Unless…” His eyes widened. “It couldn’t have been Sam could it?”

Dean shook his head sadly. “I wish it could, Jack. I wish that more than anything. But he couldn’t have done this. I saw him. He couldn’t have survived what they did to him. Even if he was at the top of his game, he wouldn’t have survived an attack by this many. He’s good, was good, but no one human could have done all this.”

Jack seemed to sag where he stood. Dean understood. For one moment, he’d had a glimpse of hope that Sam could be alive after all, and Dean had just taken that from him. He was right though. There was no way this was Sam.

“Then it was angels,” Jack said in a dead voice.

“They had a party,” Dean said.

“This is their world. Everything for them is a party.”

“Why would they bother though?” Dean asked. “They want fewer humans on earth, right?”

“They do,” Jack agreed. “But they like to be the ones that kill them. They wouldn’t want vampires taking that away from them.”

Dean cursed. He had come in part for revenge, and it had been stolen from him. The damn angels had taken it.

“This is better,” Jack said, sounding as though he was convincing himself. Perhaps he had wanted to end the creatures that had taken Sam from them, too. “We just need to find him now. We can take him home.”

“It’s not home,” Dean said brutally. Home was the bunker, with the books Sam had loved and the room he was finally starting to make his own. This world wasn’t theirs. It was a nightmare. Sam didn’t belong here.

“I know,” Jack said quickly. “I’m sorry. I just meant… We’ll find him. Where did they take him?”

Dean looked around and spotted the place they had dragged Sam through. He knew it at once as the image of Sam disappearing through it was seared into his mind.

“Here,” he said, walking quickly to the opening and passing through. The tunnel was dark and dank, and Dean tried not to imagine how Sam had felt being dragged here, bleeding to death and knowing he wasn’t going to be saved. How scared he would have been.

He came to another small cave and took a breath before looking around, trying to brace himself for seeing Sam again. There was no preparation though, he realized. He had to face it head on the way Sam would want him to. The way a Winchester would.

Sam wasn’t there.

He didn’t believe it at first. He cast the flashlight’s glow around the space, looking for his brother, but it was empty. He could see the spot where Sam had surely lain, it was soaked with blood, but he there was no other sign of him there.

“No,” he breathed.

“Where is he?” Jack asked, sounding very young.

“He’s gone,” Dean said, his voice as hollow as his chest.

“Is this the right place?” Jack asked. “Are you sure?”

“He was here. I know it. They took him.”

“He has to be here! Stay here!”

Dean looked around in time to see Jack disappear. Dean know what he was doing, searching for Sam, possibly searching every other side tunnel and cave in the place for him. He wouldn’t find him though. Dean could feel it. Sam was gone. Someone had taken him.

He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t be able to take Sam back to his family for their last goodbye. His little brother was going to be left who knew where forever. They would never know what was happening to his body, how it was being defiled. Dean had let him down.

“Angels,” Jack spat, appearing in front of him.

Dean gripped his machete a little tighter in his hand. “You’ve seen them?”

“No. They took him. They’re the only ones that would. People aren’t left alone here, even after they’re dead. They’re never done with them. Sam is… He’s being… No! This is wrong!”

Dean felt the hollow feeling in his chest expand and encompass his gut. He had failed. He was supposed to take care of Sam, and now he had failed him _again_.

A cry built in his chest and he stumbled away from Jack into the cavern lit by the sun creeping though a small space in the ceiling. He raised his face to the light and bellowed his pain. “No!”

His breaths came in pants as the tears spilled from his eyes. Suddenly, he was no longer hollow. His body was filled with fire that burned him. He cried out in pain at it, bowing over and gasping.

“Dean!” Jack said behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“No!” Dean snapped, pulling away from him. “Don’t!”

“I’m sorry,” Jack said. “I’m really, really sorry.”

“I can’t do this,” Dean groaned.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said again. “This wouldn’t have happened without me. I should never have come.”

“What?”

“You would never know this world existed without me,” Jack said. “The rift would never have been opened. I did this. I’m sorry. I… And now Sam…”

Dean raised his head again and bellowed inarticulately at the sky through the hole in the ceiling. He was in pain and he wanted to stop, but he couldn’t. He had to take care of Jack now. That was what Sam would want him to do. Sam wouldn’t let him stop and stay here to die alone the way he had. He would need Dean to take care of Jack.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, panting himself to calm again. “You didn’t do any of this. You weren’t here. I was the one that screwed up.”

“But Sam…”

“Would tell you the same thing,” Dean said, gripping Jack’s shoulders hard. “This was not you. I was the one that let him down. I let him come here, and I let him die. This is on me.” A fresh tear streaked down his cheek. “I did this to him. And now I don’t know what to do.”

“We have to go back,” Jack said. “They need to know what happened.”

“How can I tell them this?” Dean asked. “How do I tell my mom?”

Jack shook his head. “I don’t know. You have to though. They need to know.”

“I can’t do this, Jack,” Dean said.

“You can. You’re a Winchester, and Winchesters are strong. Sam was strong.”

Sam _had_ been strong, but Dean felt weak now. He couldn’t bear this. His mind had been wholly focused on getting Sam back and he couldn’t do that now. He could scour this world but never find him because of the damned angels.

“Come on, Dean,” Jack said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Dean closed his eyes as he felt the swoop in his stomach he always felt moved under an angel’s influence.

He was going back to tell them he’d failed. 

xXx

They arrived back at the edge of the camp, and Dean looked around at the people as they started towards the cabin. Gabriel and Castiel were sitting on a log together, talking, but as Dean and Jack approached, they jumped to their feet and rushed towards him, Gabriel calling for Mary.

Castiel looked between them, a frown creasing his brow. “Sam?” he asked.

Dean shook his head, unable to find the words.

“He wasn’t there,” Jack said.

Castiel’s face fell.

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Gabriel said solemnly.

Dean disregarded his apology and looked past him to Mary as she rushed toward them. She looked as wrecked as when Dean had left her, but now there was confusion, too. She looked past Dean as if searching for where he had left Sam, as if he would just abandon him like that. “Where is he?” she asked.

“Gone,” Dean said in a dead voice, and her face crumpled.

“It was angels,” Jack explained. “The vampires had all been killed, and Sam was gone. They took him.”

Gabriel cursed quietly.

“Why would they do that?” Castiel asked.

“Because they’re even bigger monsters here than they are back home,” Dean said. 

No one challenged the statement. They all knew he was right.

“He’s really gone,” Mary said. “He’s…” She broke off with a sob.

“I tried,” Dean said. “We were too late.”

“Of course you tried,” Castiel said. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known what they would do.”

Dean turned away, looking at the people around him going about their lives in the post-apocalypse world. None of them knew or cared about this new calamity. They couldn’t understand what it meant to Dean and his family. To them, they would think it was just a body. They were wrong. It was the last piece of Sam that Dean had, and it was lost. It was subjected to the cruelties of angels now when it should have been laid to rest.

“We need to decide what we’re doing next,” Gabriel said. “We’ve got Lucifer on slow drip, but he’ll run out of juice eventually. We need to get back to the rift.”

“You mean leave?” Mary asked.

“Uh, yeah. We came to find you two, and now we have, so we need to get back.”

“We can’t do that,” Mary said. “Not now.”

“Because of Sam?” Castiel asked.

“In part. Also because of the other people here. We can’t leave them.”

Dean looked at her. He had been thinking along those lines, but he hadn’t been focused on the people. His motivation for staying was Sam. He had been taken by the angels, the monsters, and though he knew he couldn’t get him back, he was going to avenge him. They needed to die. If it took a lifetime, he was going to kill them. Michael, too. He needed to die. They had the archangel blade. They just needed to find him.

“We’re killing them,” Dean said.

Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up. “The humans? Bold choice, Dean. Not sure of the logic, though.”

“The angels,” Dean corrected. “They did this to him. We have angel blades, and you have the archangel blade. We can take him out now.”

“Gabriel isn’t strong enough to wield the blade,” Castiel said. “His grace…”

“Will replenish in time,” Dean said. “We have that. We’re not going anywhere. We can thin his troops and then take him out.”

“Yes!” Jack said, his eyes feverish. “Michael needs to die. I can use the blade, I’m sure. We can end this for these people. We can do it, can’t we, Mary?” he asked, looking at her imploringly.

Mary nodded. “We can.”

“And the fact that it is going to take long enough to guarantee we’re trapped here?” Gabriel asked.

Dean stared at him. “Doesn’t matter.”

“You’d really spend the rest of your life here for this?” he asked.

“Sam would,” Dean said, knowing he was right. Sam came here for Mary and Jack, but he would stay for the people that needed him.

Castiel bowed his head. “He would. I will stay.”

“Mom?” Dean asked.

“I’m staying,” she said.

“Me, too,” Jack said.

Castiel nodded.

“Fine,” Gabriel said. “It’s not like our world had much going for it anymore. I’m in. Let’s take my dick of a brother down.”

Dean looked from face to face, trying to find the words to thank them. He wasn’t going to see Sam again, but he would at least know he had done what he could for him. If he ever saw him again, if this world had its own Heaven that they could go to instead of the Empty, Dean would be able to tell Sam that he hadn’t given up without him. He could say he kept fighting as Sam would have.

“We need to plan. What do we know about Michael and his army?” he asked.

“It’s huge,” Mary said. “They’re everywhere.”

“Good,” Dean said. “That means we’ll be able to find them.”

“They will also be massively strong,” Gabriel said. “These all have their wings and full strength. Until my grace is all the way back, I’m going to be a spare part.”

“We’ll find a way,” Mary said. “This is…” She trailed off as a shout came from someone Dean couldn’t see.

“Someone’s coming!”

Dean ran toward the sound, shrugging off his backpack and pulling the angel blade from inside. If this was his first angel, he was going to take care of it.

He saw a man standing at a tree, a crude blade in his hand.

“Where?” Dean asked.

“South,” he said. “I heard the border alarm go off.”

Dean ran in the direction he was pointing, seeing a shape in the distance. With the blade held tightly in his hand, he prepared himself to attack, and then he saw the person in stop and raise a hand, and he skidded to a halt.

It wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be here.

Dean’s heart clenched as he unfroze and started forward again. The man coming was staggering as if drunk, and a hand was pressed to his chest. He got close enough to see his face, and he saw the look of relief.

“Sam,” he whispered.

Sam smiled slightly, and Dean ran at him, dropping the angel blade from his nerveless fingers. Just as he reached him, Sam’s knees buckled and he dropped down to his knees. Dean threw himself down in front of him and caught his swaying body.

“Sammy,” he breathed. “Oh, god, Sam!”

He pulled him close and Sam’s head fell onto his shoulder. His quick breaths brushed against Dean’s neck.

“You’re okay,” Dean said, overwhelmed to be able to say it at last. He could reassure his brother. He could do his job.

“Dean,” Sam whispered. “He’s… Jack. You have to…”

Dean eased Sam up by the shoulders and cupped his cheek in his hand. “What about Jack? What’s happened, Sammy?”

Sam seemed to be trying to focus on him with bleary eyes. He drew a staggering breath and tried to speak just as his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell forwards onto Dean.  


	4. Chapter 4

Dean held Sam his against his chest, his hands gripping Sam’s back and cradling his head. “It’s okay, Sammy,” he said. “You’re okay. I’m here.”

He heard footsteps rushing towards him and felt people crowding in, but he didn’t take notice of them. He was consumed with the miracle in his arms. Sam was back. Dean had no idea how, but he was there now, and he wasn’t going to let him go again.

Someone tried to pull Sam away from him, and Dean gripped him harder, growling, “No!”

“Stop, Dean,” Mary said firmly, breaking through the haze in his mind and making all the voices hatefully clear. “We need to lay him down. Castiel needs to see him.”

“You can help him this time?” Jack asked.  

“I think so,” Castiel said.

“He’s alive,” Dean said. “He’s breathing.”

“Then I should be able to help him. Lay him down, Dean. Let me see him.”

Though it was physically painful, Dean loosened his grip on Sam and allowed Jack and Castiel to ease him away and lay him down on the ground. Mary quickly knelt and pulled Sam’s head onto her legs, her hands stroking his face and wetness dripping down to him from her eyes.

For the first time, Dean was able to take in the state of his brother. It was an awful sight. There were horrific wounds on his throat and shoulders where teeth had bitten into him, shredding skin and exposing muscle, and in some places, even bone. His skin was grey and his parted lips almost white. His breaths were fast and shallow, and he seemed to be trembling. If it wasn’t for those movements, Dean would have believed he was dead.

“Fix him,” he commanded, fixing his eyes on Castiel.

Castiel laid a glowing hand over Sam’s injuries, his fingers tracing the gory wounds. When he moved his hand away, Dean saw they were gone. Sam was healed. But he didn’t wake.

“What’s wrong? Why didn’t it work?” Jack asked. “Why isn’t he awake?”

“It worked,” Gabriel said. “He’s just weak. He’s lost a lot of blood, and no amount of Castiel’s grace can replenish that. It would take an archangel with a full tank to do it. All we can do now is get some fluids in him and wait for Sam’s own body to fix things.”

“But he’ll be okay?” Jack asked.

“He’ll be fine,” Mary said determinedly. “He just needs time.” She wiped at one of her own tears that had splashed onto Sam’s face.

Dean looked from his mother’s face to Sam’s, and he felt a cry building in his chest. It was a combination of the raw pain he had felt losing Sam and the joy at the miracle of his return. He couldn’t hold it in. It was going to break him apart if he tried. He started to shake.

Mary looked at him and said, “We need to get him inside and warm. Dean, there’s a cot in the cabin. Go get it ready.”

Dean knew she was offering him an out, and like a coward, he took it. He touched Sam’s cold hand and then stood and walked away. The pressure in his chest continued to build the further he went. He was no longer hollow. He was too full now. It was like there was too much of him to contain. He started running, a hand over his mouth to quell the cry. When he reached the cabin, he flung open the door and raced inside. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and hid his face in the rough blankets, covering his head with his hands. He let himself go. He released the stranglehold he had over himself and let the cry free. Except it wasn’t a cry. It was a silent scream. He allowed it to rip from him, making no more noise that a harsh breath. On and on it went, tearing his throat and releasing the pressure in his chest. His eyes burned and his jaw ached, but still, he couldn’t stop it.

“Dean, are you…?” Jack asked from behind him. “Dean?”

Dean’s mouth snapped closed and the silent scream cut off in his throat.

“I’m fine.” Now that he was no longer alone, he couldn’t allow himself to be anything but “fine.”

He quickly scrambled to his feet and pulled back the bedclothes. They weren’t what he wanted for Sam. They were rough and cold, whereas he wanted soft and warm. He wanted the familiar walls of their home for Sam, with Sam’s own bed to lay him in. He didn’t want this dark and dank place. It was all he had though. Sam needed to rest.

He plumped the pillows and stepped back as there was movement at the door. Castiel and Gabriel came in, carrying Sam between them, with Mary following close behind. Sam was laid gently on the bed, and Mary quickly went to the side and knelt down beside him. Her fingers traced over Sam’s forehead, her grimy skin standing out in stark contrast to Sam’s pallor.  

“What do we do now?” Jack asked. “How do we help him?”

“Other than try to get him to drink something, we pretty much leave him alone,” Gabriel said. “He needs rest. There’s nothing else we can do until he wakes up.”

“When will that be?” Jack asked.

Gabriel shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Winchesters are tough, but Sam’s tank is almost empty. It’s going to take time for that to get fixed.”

“He’ll be fine,” Mary said, repeating her earlier words as if the repetition would make them true. Her attention was focused wholly on Sam. “He just needs time.”

Jack still looked unsure, but when Dean nodded at him, he seemed slightly reassured.

“Okay, I’m going to ask the question,” Gabriel said. “Sam’s back, which is awesome and all, but how the hell did it happen? He was as good as dead the moment those vamps got their teeth into him, there was no coming back from that, but here he is. And even if by some miracle of Dad he did live through it, there’s no way he would have been able to get away from those vampires and here to us without another miracle.”

“Could it have been another angel?” Jack asked. “One that comes from here. They could have been the ones to kill the vampires and bring Sam back. A good one maybe.”

Mary shook her head without looking up. “There are no good angels here. They’re all monsters, Jack.”

“Maybe not,” Castiel said. “There must be some angels that wouldn’t follow Michael, some that chose humanity.”

“Like you did?” Dean asked. “You came down on our side, Cas, but you were the only one, and when you did, you were cut off. You couldn’t heal.”

“But Sam hadn’t been healed,” Castiel said. “Look at him. He still had the injuries we saw him get when he arrived. Perhaps an angel saved him from death in that place and killed the vampires. He could have brought Sam close—dropped him off right outside the camp border. All it would take was some of Sam’s innate strength and determination to get him the rest of the way.”

Dean shook his head. He just didn’t believe it. Castiel was an exceptional case. He had fallen for the world, but no other angel Dean had met made him believe they would have done the same thing. They were all dicks.

“What about God?” Mary asked.

“God?” Jack said wonderingly.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said. “Pops to me and Cas. Grandpa to you. You think He had a part in this?”

“Yes,” Castiel said fervently. “It must have been Him. If He had seen what happened to Sam, He would have intervened.”

“Like He did the hundred other times we needed Him?” Dean said scathingly.

“He changed when He was here before for Amara,” Castiel said. “I am sure He would have done this if He’d known. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Dean shrugged, unconvinced. If it had been God, He could have done more than prop Sam up just enough that he could make it back. He could have saved Sam properly, healed him fully. He could have stopped him being attacked in the first place.

“What other option is there?” Castiel asked. “Did he say anything to you, Dean?”

“Yeah,” Dean said heavily, drawing all eyes to him. “He said something about Jack.”

Jack looked stunned. “Me? I didn’t do anything, I swear.”

“We know, Jack,” Mary soothed. “It’s okay.”

“What exactly did he say?” Castiel asked.

“I don’t know,” Dean admitted. The moments he had Sam in his arms felt like a blur. He had just been so relieved to have his hands on him that nothing else had mattered. “He said Jack’s name though.”

“Cryptic.” Gabriel said. “Awesome.”

“He’ll tell us when he’s ready,” Mary said. “We just have to wait.”

“Which would be easy and all if not for the fact we’re in apocalypse world and Michael is running the show. If Sam knows something from Dad, it would be good if he’d share. Who knows what’s coming for us. For all we know it was a top tip on Michael’s plans.”

At that moment, there was a ringing noise like someone calling them for dinner. Jack stiffened, and Mary lurched to her feet. “There’s an angel coming!”

“You had to say it!” Dean said, glaring at Gabriel.

Outside the cabin there were sounds of people running around. Dean reached for his bag and the angel blade, but then he realized he’d dropped it when he’d seen Sam.

“Here, Dean,” Gabriel said, holding out a blade to him.

Dean took it. “What about…?”

Gabriel’s own blade snapped into his right hand and he said, “It’s yours.”

“Stay with Sam!” Dean commanded Castiel. “Keep him safe. You too, Jack!”

Castiel nodded and he and Jack moved closer to the bed as Dean and Mary rushed out of the door. Gabriel followed them out and took a fighting stance at Dean’s side. People were fleeing north from the boundaries, coming to stand around the cabin. The fact they were able to move and not already dead should have reassured Dean, but it didn’t. He could think of no good reason for angels to come here.

“You should stay with Sam, too, Mom,” Dean said.

“The hell with that,” Mary said. “These are my people.”

Dean was about to remind her that Sam was her son, and he needed her safe, but at that moment a familiar and hated voice called through the trees.

“I admire that, Mary. Taking people into your flock like that; it’s such a Winchester thing to do. You must be so proud, Dean.”

Lucifer stepped into view and Dean’s grip tightened around his blade. “Lucifer,” he snarled.

Lucifer waved. “Hey, gang. You miss me? I missed you.”


	5. Chapter 5

As Dean stared at the smiling archangel, he felt anger and hatred rise up in him.

“How did you get here?” Gabriel asked, no sign of the turmoil Dean felt in his voice.   

“Rowena,” Lucifer said with relish. “She said a few things that kinda made me mad. It was just the little nudge I needed to overpower her spell and get free.”

“Is she dead?” Gabriel asked.

“No,” Lucifer said in an offhand tone. “Naturally, I _tried_ to kill her, but she had a few tricks up her sleeve. Sneaky witch shoved me through the rift. Not that I’m complaining. Turns out this is where I need to be. Little birdy tells me this is where my son is.”

“He isn’t here,” Mary said.

Lucifer shook his head. “It’s really not a good idea to lie to me, Mary. I don’t like it. It makes me strike out irrationally. And Dean has already got enough to cope with without a dead mommy, too.” He fixed his eyes on Dean. “My condolences, by the way. Must be tough to lose your brother. Again.”

“What do you know about it?” Mary asked.

Lucifer smiled cruelly. “I know all about it. Vampires can be mean when they’re starved and rabid. I imagine it was a nasty way to go. Sad part is, it didn’t have to be like that. He could have lived.”

“What are you talking about?” Dean asked, icy tendrils of dread beginning to climb up his spine. How did Lucifer know what had happened to Sam?

“He chose wrong,” Lucifer said easily. “I gave him the option of living but didn’t take it. I offered him the world on a plate, and he said no to me.”

“Want to try talking sense, Lucifer?” Gabriel asked. “We haven’t got all day. You’re not the only crazy brother I’m watching out for. Michael is around somewhere, too.”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at his brother. “Sam _chose_ to die.”

That was wrong. Sam was fighting to the end. He didn’t give in. He was dragged away by those monsters. He was fighting even now. However he’d gotten here, be it God or some other miracle, Sam had made it with those horrific wounds and that amount of blood loss. He was in that cabin living now because he fought. 

“What are you talking about?” Mary spat.

Lucifer laughed. “I can see you’re confused, and obviously grief has taken you down a few notches in the IQ stakes, so I’ll make it simple. I found Sam where you left him, cold cuts for the crazy fang gang, and I decided to do him a favor. I brought him back.”

“ _You_ brought him back?” Gabriel asked. And with those words, Dean’s worst fears were confirmed.

“I did. I offered him a deal. See, there was still a crowd of those crazy vamps hanging around, actually less hanging and more chomping at the bit to eat Sam again, and I told Sam I’d get him out of there nice and safe if he would just do me one little favor. I wanted a meet and greet with my son. I heard Jack is fond of him, and I figured it would be a good icebreaker to come bearing gifts in the form of a resurrected buddy. I could have brought him right here to you all, his family, but he wouldn’t do it.” He sighed with feigned sadness. “He didn’t care enough about you to say yes this time, Dean. He chose death rather than to see you again. So, I did what any reasonable person would. I left him there to die.”

“He wouldn’t say yes,” Dean said, nodding with understanding. Lucifer had brought him back, but he had offered Sam a chance he couldn’t take. No matter what he offered, Sam would never be able to say yes to Lucifer again. The archangel had come close to breaking him with what he had done in the Cage, but he hadn’t stolen Sam’s strength. Sam would have been strong enough to refuse, even though it would cost him his life.

“Exactly,” Lucifer said. “He wouldn’t say yes so he could be with you all again. How selfish is that? How much does it hurt knowing he didn’t love you enough to make a deal, Dean? And Mary, are you feeling the weight of your choices in life now?”

“Screw you,” Mary said harshly.

“Yep, Sammy’s dead, again,” Lucifer said, unconcerned by Mary’s anger. “Like I said, my condolences. Now, let’s get down to business. Where’s my son?”

“Not here,” Gabriel said.

“You know better than to lie to me, little brother,” Lucifer said. “I can feel him. How do you think I found you? I _know_ he is here. Now, are you going to let him know I’m here to pick him up, or do I have to start snapping necks?”

There was movement inside the cabin behind them, and Dean heard soft voices.

Lucifer leered. “Jack, that you, son? Come on, kid. Come say hey.”

Dean glanced back in time to see Jack appear at the door. Lucifer’s face transformed. The mocking pleasure in their supposed grief was gone, and he looked genuinely happy.

“Jack,” he said, spreading his arms wide. “It’s good to see you.”

Jack brushed past Dean and walked towards Lucifer. For a moment, Dean was scared, thinking that perhaps there was some kind of genetic pull between Jack and his father that transcended what a good person Jack truly was. Were his fears for Jack’s nature about to be realized? Was he going to choose Lucifer over them?

Jack stopped in front of Lucifer, and the archangel smiled at him. “Hello, son.”

Jack pulled back a fist and slammed it into Lucifer’s face. Lucifer looked puzzled for a moment before his eyes rolled and he fell back to the ground, landing with a heavy thud and bounce of his head.

Jack leaned over his unconscious form and snarled at him. “I am _not_ your son.”

For a moment, no one moved. Jack stood over Lucifer with his shaking hands fisted and fury in his eyes. Then Mary stepped away from Dean and walked towards him. She laid a hand on Jack’s arm and he turned to her. She pulled him into her arms and stroked a hand down his back as she soothed him. Jack buried his face into her neck and hugged her in return.

“Wasn’t expecting that,” Gabriel said. “I knew the kid had potential, but… Whoa. Even I couldn’t do that without a little extra help at the best of times.”

“He’s powerful,” Dean said.

“Yeah. Remind me not to piss him off, will ya?”

Dean nodded and walked to where Lucifer lay. Mary and Jack broke apart, and Jack gave Dean a nervous look.

“You did good, kid,” Dean said.

Jack smiled slightly. “I didn’t know I’d be able to do that.”

“The lore was on your side, but I’m still impressed.”

“Maybe because you drained him,” Mary said.

Gabriel shook his head. “He’s not drained. I don’t know where it came from, but that’s Lucifer with a full tank.” He looked around. “We should do something with him.”

“Kill him?” Jack suggested.

Dean considered. As tempting as it was to end Lucifer now, he knew there was someone that deserved to see it happen. Sam needed to be there for Lucifer’s end. He had been hurt the most by him, and it would finally give Sam some peace to see him killed. “Not yet. We need to do something though. We don’t know how long he’ll be out.”

Gabriel considered. “We can tie him up.”

“Will that hold him?” Mary asked.

“It will with a little help from me,” Gabriel said confidently. “Do you have any chains?”

“Yeah, in the cabin,” Mary said. “I’ll get them.”

“I’ll go,” Dean said, turning and walking away before she could argue.

He wanted to see Sam again, reassure himself that he was okay, and he wanted to be away from Lucifer and the confusion of the thoughts he had triggered. He was elated that Sam was back, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what Lucifer had told them. Sam could have been brought back safely if he’d said yes to Lucifer. Though he understood why Sam couldn’t have done that, he wished he had. He wouldn’t have suffered nearly so much. He wouldn’t have had to fight his way out. Because Dean realized now that was what had happened. Those vampires _had_ been killed by Sam. He didn’t understand how Sam could have faced so many and lived, but he had. That was why he was such a mess now. He had fought to the death, and it had very nearly been his own again.

He went into the cabin and his eyes immediately found Sam. Castiel was still standing guard beside the bed, and he looked at Dean as he entered.  

“Jack knocked him out,” Dean said.

“I saw through the window,” Castiel said. “I enjoyed watching.”

Dean smiled slightly. “I think we all did. I wish Sammy could have seen it. How’s he doing?”

“Better, I think,” Castiel said. “He seems slightly stronger.”

Dean examined his brother, taking in his color and breaths. He did seem a little better. Perhaps his body was just able to cope better now he was resting, or whatever had enabled him to survive an attack from so many vampires was still helping him. Dean still didn’t understand what that had been.

He dragged his eyes away and looked for the chains. They were hanging from a hook on the wall. Dean grabbed them and carried them back outside to Gabriel who took them and uncoiled them, taking a section and pressing the tip of his blade to the metal, scratching lines into the links.

“What are you doing?” Mary asked.

“Some very delicate and difficult sigils,” Gabriel murmured. “They’ll keep him from using his powers to free himself. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to shut him up. He’s going to be pretty chatty when he wakes up.” He looked at Jack. “Can you deal with that, kid?”

Jack nodded. “He can say what he likes. I know the truth.”

Dean clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. Let’s get him out of the way.”

“A strong tree will do,” Gabriel said.

Dean and Jack each took one of Lucifer’s arms and dragged him over to a tree at the far edge of the clearing, away from the cabin and tents. They propped him up against it, and Jack quickly stepped back, brushing his hands against his pants as if to wipe away the touch. Dean understood. He didn’t particularly want to touch Lucifer either. Being that close to the devil was abhorrent. It was if his crimes coated him like grease.

Eventually, Gabriel came over and held out the chain to Dean. “Want to do the honors?” he asked.

Dean took it and began to wrap the chain around Lucifer’s chest. He pulled it tight enough that it would be painful for a human, though he knew it would surely make no difference to an archangel. When he ran out of chain, he handed it to Gabriel who made an intricate knot over Lucifer’s chest and then gripped it tightly. Light glowed under his hand and when he released it, Dean saw the links had seared together as if welded.

“I’m pretty sure he can’t get out of this, but someone should probably stay with him anyway,” Gabriel said.

“I will,” Jack volunteered.

“You sure?” Dean asked. “I know it can’t be easy being around him.”

“It’s my job,” Jack said simply. “Go be with Sam.”

Dean thanked him and quickly walked back to the cabin. He went straight to the cot and looked over Sam. He looked the same, but Dean couldn’t shake the feeling he was stronger now. He picked up Sam’s wrist and checked his pulse. It was steady and thrummed hard against Dean’s fingers.

“That’s right, Sammy,” he said. “You’re doing good.”

Mary walked to the other side of the bed and bent to press a kiss to Sam’s temple, just as Dean remembered her doing when Sam was a baby.

“He seems warmer,” she said, kneeling on the floor and resting her hand on Sam’s chest. “And he’s breathing better.”

“Yeah,” Dean said. “I don’t get it, but this is a gift horse I’m not checking out.”

“Would you like to do the honors or shall I, Castiel?” Gabriel asked from his spot leaning against the wall.

“You can,” Castiel said. “I will stay with Jack.”

He gave Sam a searching look, as if he was seeing right through Sam’s skin to the heart beating within, and then walked outside. Dean watched through the window as he went to Jack and laid a hand on his shoulder. Castiel said something and Jack nodded.

“What did you mean, do the honors?” Mary asked.

Dean’s eyes fell on Gabriel and he saw the angel was smiling widely.

“Oh, that,” he said. “Just a little info dump about how Sammy happens to be here.”

“Lucifer saved him, right?” Dean said.

“He brought him back, and I guess you could say he ‘saved’ him, too, but that was more an accident than anything. When you get down to it, Sam saved himself.”

“How?” Mary asked.

“Sheer bloody-mindedness?” Gabriel suggested.

“How?” Dean growled.

“The grace,” Gabriel said. “When Lucifer brought him back, he dumped an ass-load of grace in Sam. He would have woken up right and ready to party, the blood loss negated completely. He would have been able to skip back here no problems, if it wasn’t for those pesky vampires Lucifer mentioned.”

“He fought them,” Mary said. “He killed them.”

“Yep. Sam had a full tank of blood and an extra helping of archangel grace in him, and he put it to use. He had rocket fuel in his veins. I’m not saying it wasn’t hard, and it could easily have gone the other way, but basically, your brother beat Goliath, Dean. He rocked it.”

All those bodies, Dean thought. Sam had really killed them all.

“That’s incredible,” Mary said.

It was, Dean thought. He had made it all the way back here with those horrific injuries. Dean remembered how hard it had been for him to make the journey without Sam, how it had felt like every step was pushing him against a high wind as he went further and further away from Sam, and he had been whole and healthy. How had Sam done it? Could the fact he was coming towards something better have been enough for him? Just how many times was Dean going to underestimate his brother’s strength? He had spent so long trying to protect him lately, to stop him putting himself at risk, and he’d been wrong. Sam had proved again and again that he could take care of himself.

“Does he still have grace in him now?” Mary asked. “Is that why he’s doing better?”

“Not sure,” Gabriel said. “Let’s take a look.”

He walked towards the bed and pressed his fingertips to Sam’s temple and closed his eyes. He concentrated a moment and then nodded.

“There’s a bit left in there,” he said. “Not much. Probably just enough to keep him ticking, to be honest. He’s going to need more than the leftover grace to get him through this.”

He needed a hospital, Dean thought. He needed actual doctors and equipment they didn’t have here. He needed to be conscious so they could get fluids into him. He was drained, and he needed them to be replenished. 

“What can we do?” Mary asked.

Gabriel shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. Human medicine has always been a mystery to me. What would you do if he was home?”

“Get him to a hospital,” Dean said immediately. “Get him a blood transfusion, IVs, actual doctors.”

“And if we don’t have any of that, what do you do?” Gabriel asked. “What does the Winchester School of Triage tell you to do?”

Dean ran his hands through his hair. “Get him awake and drinking. I don’t see how we can do that though. He’s out.”

“We do have hospitals! Mary said excitedly.

Dean gasped. “You do?”

“Yes, but…” Her smiled faded. “But they’re guarded. The angels have control over them.”

“But they’re there?” Dean asked excitedly. “They’ve got equipment and supplies?”

“Yes, but the angels have them. They control all the bases we need: hospital and stores, military installations. Jack might be able to go, but he’s never been tested against those kinds of numbers before. And he won’t know what we need.”

“I’ll go with him,” Dean said. “I know exactly what to get. We’ll go now.”

He made for the door, but Mary stopped him with a hand on his arm. “There are a lot of angels, Dean. It won’t be safe.”

“So? It’s not safe for Sam to stay like this either.”

“I know,” she said heavily. “I just…”

“You want me to be aware of what I’m getting into,” Dean stated. “I already know though, Mom. I can do this for him. He needs me to do this.”

Mary seemed torn as she looked between Sam, lying on the cot, and Dean standing in front of her, his face eager. Dean thought he understood her hesitance.

“You’re not choosing between us, Mom,” he said. “I’m doing this for Sam _and_ me. I need to take care of him, and he needs this stuff. I’ll go with Jack now, and we’ll be back before you know it.”

Mary nodded slowly and then bent forward and kissed Dean’s cheek. “Thank you, Dean,” she whispered.   

Dean smiled at her. “I’ll see you soon.”

Before she could say anything else, he strode from the cabin and walked to Jack and Castiel where they stood over the still unconscious Lucifer. They looked up as he approached.

“Is Sam…” Jack started, looking nervous.

“He’s going to be okay,” Dean said confidently. “But I need your help.”

“Anything,” Jack said without hesitation. “What can I do?”

Dean smiled at him. “We need to go on a supply run…”


	6. Chapter 6

Dean peered around the edge of the building then quickly pulled his head back before one of the patrolling angels could see him.

“How many?” Jack asked.

“More than a dozen that I can see,” Dean said.

“I can kill them,” Jack offered.

Dean smiled slightly. “How about we try stealth instead? I know you want to kill angels, but if something goes wrong and we’re taken out of the game, it’s not just our lives on the line. It’s Sam’s. He needs this stuff we’re getting to fix him up. We need to try to get in and out without being noticed.”

“I can do that,” Jack said confidently. “Are you ready?”

Dean gripped his angel blade tightly in one hand and nodded. He felt the momentary sensation of displacement and then he look around and saw that he was in a long corridor.

He could tell that it must once have been a clean and bright place, with many overhead lights and walls that had been white. They were grey now, and pitted with patches of peeling paint. The chairs that lined a part of the walls were dirty and some had been kicked over, legs bent and broken. Dean wondered if it had happened in the early days of the apocalypse, when chaos must have reigned, or it this was what the angels had done to the place.  

“What are we looking for?” Jack asked.

“A store room of some kind. We need IV bags, needles and cannulas, and whatever drugs we can find.”

He looked up and down the hall and checked room numbers. It looked like this had been an admin area of some kind. He didn’t think he would find anything useful here.

“Come on.”

They walked along the corridor, coming to a lobby area with more seating and vending machines. One of them was a hot drinks machine, which was of no use to Dean, but another one made him grin.

“This is what we need,” he said, making his way toward the machine filled with shelves of candy. Someone had obviously tried to break into it, as the plastic door was dented, but it was intact. Dean guessed it was a human that had tried—there was no way an angel hadn’t got in if they’d wanted to.

“That’s not medicine, Dean,” Jack said. “It’s candy.”

“It’s both. Sam needs a sugar boost, and I’m guessing your camp doesn’t have a stash of candy.”

“I don’t think people here have had candy in a long time,” Jack said. “The angels have restricted everything they could need. The stores are guarded, the hospitals and anything the military had before. They don’t need any of this stuff; they just want to stop humans having it.”

“Sons of bitches,” Dean spat.

Jack nodded solemnly. “They’re evil.”

“I thought I knew that already,” Dean said. “The angels back home have always been bad, but they seem like nothing compared to the ones here.” He shook his head and slipped his backpack off his shoulder. “Can you get this thing open?”

Jack gripped the handle and tugged. The door opened with a creak.

“Thanks,” Dean said, quickly opening his bag and shoving handfuls of candy into it. He was taking far more than Sam needed, but he figured everyone else at the camp could do with a sugar boost, too. There were a lot of humans there that probably hadn’t had something like a candy bar since the end came for them.

Suddenly, Jack placed his hand on his, stilling it with his fingers curled around a candy bar, and his expression tensed. Dean didn’t ask what he was doing. He thought he already knew. Someone was coming. 

A moment later he heard it. Slow footsteps coming towards them. He extracted his hand and moved to stand behind Jack who was positioning himself with his stance widened and his hands held away from him defensively.

The angel that came around the corner was wearing army fatigues and his face bore a scrubby beard. He looked excited at the sight of Jack and Dean, his eyes lit up and he smiled widely.

“Well, if it isn’t the abomination,” he said. “We were hoping to see you. Who’s your buddy?”

Jack raised a hand threateningly, but the angel seemed unconcerned.

“We knew that sooner or later you were going to need to come to one of these places for some sick human, so we doubled security. Michael has been looking for you. He’ll be pleased when he finds out we’ve got you.”

For a moment, Jack hesitated, and Dean wondered what he was doing, and then he saw a golden light spilling from his palm and circling the angel. He was lifted from his feet and his eyes widened with fear. Dean thought he was trying to talk, as his mouth was moving, but no sound escaped him.

“Do it, Jack,” Dean urged.

Jack nodded once and then his fingers closed into a fist, and the angel exploded in a cloud of dust. It billowed out into the air, and then slowly settled on the ground. Dean covered his mouth with a hand, not wanting to breathe in any of the creature’s remains.

 “Nice work,” Dean said, patting Jack on the shoulder.

“I did that to Zachariah, too,” Jack said, turning to look at him.

“You killed Zachariah?” Dean asked, impressed. “I killed our world’s version of the dick, too. Felt good, right?”

“Very,” Jack said with a grin.

Dean laughed, forgetting for a moment where they were and what they were doing. He was just happy to be with Jack, having found him at last. It lasted only for a second, and the truth of their situation crashed into him again—Sam!—and he stiffened.

“We’ve got enough candy. Let’s try upstairs for the rest of the stuff.”

“Yes,” Jack said fervently, seeming to come back to the same realization as Dean.

They jogged along the hall to a door marked “Stairwell,” and rushed through. Dean pounded up the stairs, coming out into a door marked Cardiac ICU.

“This will have what we need,” he said.

He rushed through the door and onto the ward. It was as derelict as the floor below, but Dean could imagine it as it had been once, with nurses at their station, people in the chairs against the walls, nurses and doctors coming and going into the rooms leading off of the hall.

“Stores,” he reminded Jack, making straight for the nurse’s station, which he thought would be an obvious place for the cupboard he needed.

“Here!” Jack said, pushing open a door.

Dean rushed inside behind him and looked at the treasures on offer. There were shelves and shelves of equipment and supplies. “Give me your bag,” he commanded Jack.

Jack shrugged it off and handed it to Dean. “What do we need?” Jack asked.

Dean glanced around, seeing a locked cabinet he was sure held medicines they would need.

“Get that one open,” he said. “Grab anything with ‘cillin’ at the end, and something called morphine.”

Sam didn’t need painkillers that strong or antibiotics, Dean thought, but there were a lot of people at the camp and they must sometimes need it with the angels running around and their sparse living conditions.

He began to shove needles, cannulas and syringes into the bag, and then he moved onto the packages of IV bags. They were dusty and the labels peeling, but Dean thought they would still do the job. He was just squeezing bandages in on top of the candy and drugs Jack was piling into the bag when he heard a slow handclap outside.

“Oh, Jack, we’re here to see you,” a woman’s voice crooned. A voice Dean knew well.

Jack rushed out of the room, and Dean followed, holding the bags of supplies in one hand and the angel blade in the other.

Billie stood beside a tall and imposing dark-skinned male angel that sneered at them. Spread out behind them were eight more angels. Dean cursed internally. Jack had said he could handle them outside, but had he ever been tested against that many before?

“Who is the human?” the dark-skinned angel asked.

“I’m Dean Winchester.”

“You say that as if it should mean something to me,” he said. “Sure, I’ve heard the fairy stories about the other world in which you and your brother stopped the apocalypse, but you are nothing here. I am not a believer.”

“What do you believe in?” Dean asked, his grip on the angel blade tightening.

“I believe in Michael,” he said. “He will believe in me, too, when I bring him you both.”

“Uriel,” Billie said in a warning voice. “Don’t forget who you stand with. _We_ will bring them to Michael.”

“Uriel!” Dean shook his head with a laugh. “Just when I thought my day was going downhill, you come to lift it right up again. I’m really going to enjoy seeing you turn to dust.”  

“Confident little mud monkey, aren’t you?”

“And you’re as big a dick as your real world version was,” Dean said.

Uriel’s heavy brows contracted. “I am in your world, too?”

“You were until Anna killed you. That was one death I wished had been mine. I knew the moment Castiel showed up with you that you needed to die. Maybe this time Jack will let me take the shot.”

Uriel and Billie exchanged a glance and Billie looked back over her shoulder.

“Castiel was there, too?” Uriel asked.

“Yes,” Jack said firmly. “He’s my father.”

There was a harsh breath behind them and no one moved.

“Father?” Uriel asked.

“Yes,” Jack said defiantly.

“Michael said Lucifer was your father.”

“He is nothing to me,” Jack said. “Castiel is my real father.”

Uriel laughed. “Do you hear that, Castiel. You have adopted an abomination.”

An angel stepped from behind Uriel, and Dean and Jack gasped. In Jimmy Novak’s vessel, with familiar eyes narrowed in hatred, was Castiel.

Dean took a half step forward. “Cas!”

“My name is Castiel,” he said.

Dean couldn’t believe it. Castiel was here, but he was with _them._ He hadn’t thought about this world’s version of Castiel, but if he had, he wouldn’t have expected him to be this. He had hoped Castiel’s true nature as a hero would have come out here, too. He was just another solider of God here though.

“Castiel,” Jack breathed. “How could you?”

Castiel shook his head briskly. “I don’t know what you think I am, but I am not an angel that would accept your existence, let alone become something that matters to you.”

Dean shook his head, trying to shake away the confusion of his shock. This wasn’t Cas; it was a different world’s version of the angel he knew. This version was dangerous.

“Enough of this,” Billie said. “Jack, you will come with us. Come quietly and we will leave your friend to live. Fight us and he will die.”

Jack shook his head. “He will not.”

“Do not test us, boy,” Uriel said.

In response, Jack smiled as he brought a hand up, palm facing them, and gold light enveloped them. They look started, and Uriel’s teeth bared, but they were unable to resist as they were lifted from the floor. The only one not wrapped in the light was Castiel, and he was looking around him in shock.

Jack closed his fist and a billow of dust washed at them. Dean covered his face, and only lowered it when he heard a cry of anger. Castiel was standing with his blade in his hand and his face twisted with hatred. Dean dropped the bags he was still holding and stepped in front of Jack who seemed frozen. Castiel surged forward, and Dean shoved his blade forward. Castiel hadn’t expected it, confident in his strength, and he’d left himself open. The blade sank into his chest over his heart and pierced him right through.

“Dean!” Jack said breathlessly.

Dean pulled back the blade, and Castiel’s body fell to the floor. Dean looked down at this world’s version of his friend, and he felt nausea roll in his gut as he took in his wide, dead eyes and his startled expression.

He retched as he realized what had happened. It wasn’t really Cas, it was a dick version of him, but it still looked like his best friend, and Dean had killed him. He’d done what Jack couldn’t. It had been in defense of his own life, but it still felt wrong.

Jack laid a hand on his shoulder and Dean flinched.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said. “I should have…”

“You couldn’t,” Dean said. “I apparently could.”

“You had no choice,” Jack said. “He would have killed you.”

“I know,” Dean said heavily. “But it still feels like I just killed my best friend.”

“We should get back. Do we have everything now?”

“Yeah,” Dean said vaguely. “I think so.”

“Sam needs us, Dean,” Jack said.

Dean stiffened as he realized what he was doing, wasting time here when he could have been with Sam already.

“Yes!” he said. “Get us back.” He shouldered one of the bags and held the other and looked at Jack. “I’m ready.”

There was the disconcerting feeling of movement and then they were back at the camp.

Lucifer was still unconscious, chained to his tree, and Gabriel was standing over him, toying with the archangel blade.

Jack’s eyes fell on them and he frowned, and then his expression became stricken as Castiel appeared in the doorway of the cabin and called their names.

“Don’t tell him,” Dean whispered. “He doesn’t need to know.”

Jack nodded jerkily.

Dean walked away from him towards the cabin. Castiel stepped forward and asked, “Did you find everything you need?”

“We got all we could,” Dean said. “I think it’s going to be enough. How is he?”

“There has been no decline but no improvement either,” Castiel said. “Your mother is cleaning him up.”

Dean went into the cabin and saw that Sam had been stripped to the waist. Mary was sitting on a chair beside him, dipping a cloth into a bowl of water beside him and wiping it over his bloody chest. She looked up and said, “I couldn’t look at him like that anymore. I found a t-shirt that I think will fit him.”

Dean hadn’t liked seeing him coated in his own blood either, and he was relieved Mary had taken that sight away from him.

“What did you get?” Mary asked.

“Lots of stuff,” Dean said, setting down the bags on the desk and unzipping the one with the IV bags and cannulas. He took them out and held them up to Mary. “We’re set.”

Mary frowned. “I don’t know how to use that stuff.”

“I do,” Dean said. “Bobby taught me. We’ve needed it before.”

“I hate that you’ve needed these things,” Mary said quietly, stroking Sam’s arm. “This is never what I wanted for you.”

“But we’ve got it. So we’ve done what we can with it. Do you want me to help you get him dressed again?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Yes, please,” she said.

Dean set the things down and went to the bed. Mary was unfolding a grey t-shirt and holding it up. “Do you think it will fit?” she asked.

“Yeah, it will now, “ Dean said, thinking of the days in which Sam had been swelled with even more muscle, before the trials had drained him of them. He was getting it back, but he had never reached the same point of strength again.

 Mary threaded Sam’s arms through the sleeves and Dean eased him up, leaning against his chest, and Mary pulled it over his head. He held him up so she could pull it down, and then he reluctantly laid him down again. He went back to the desk and grabbed the cannula and carried it to Sam. He took one of his hands, still cooler than it should be, and patted the back of his hand to draw up a vein. When there was a strong one pressed against the skin, Dean inserted the needle, threading in the thin tubing. He pulled out the needle and held out a hand to Mary. “Pass me one of the bandages.”

Mary placed it in his hand, and Dean fixed it over the plastic of the cannula, holding it in place. He checked it was sealed and then went to the desk and selected one of the IV bags. He connected it to the cannula and unclamped the tubing. There was a nail on the wall with a coil of rope on it, and Dean exchanged it for the IV bag.

“There,” he said, patting Sam’s shoulder. “You’re good, Sammy.”

“He is?” Mary asked.

“He will be,” Dean said. “This is going to boost his fluids, and when he’s awake we can get sugar in him. We found a candy stash at the hospital, so we’re stocked for a while.

Mary nodded. “That’s good. Is there anything else he needs?”

“Just rest,” Dean said. “And warmth.” He picked up the blanket from the end of the bed and covered Sam with it. He tucked it in tightly around him, then pressed his fingers to Sam’s throat to check his pulse.

“How is it?” Mary asked.

“Strong,” Dean said reassuringly.

“He is strong,” Mary said, sitting down on the chair again and smoothing back Sam’s hair. “He’s had to be. You both have.”

“We’re Winchesters,” Dean said.

“Was it very bad at the hospital?” she asked.

“We came up against a few angels, but Jack took care of them. He’s pretty incredible.” He didn’t want to tell her about the angel he’d killed, the angel that had been the polar opposite of his best friend, even though they wore the same face.

“He is,” she agreed. “So are you. You went there knowing what you were facing to save him.”

“It’s what we do,” Dean said. “Always has been.”

“And Sam faced all those vampires,” she went on wonderingly. “While he was so hurt.”

Dean raked a hand over his face. “Honestly, I don’t know how he did that either. I know he had the boost and all, but it’s still pretty incredible.”

“You need to have… a little faith.”

The voice was weak and rasping, but it was the most welcome sound in Dean’s universe. His gaze snapped down to the cot and he saw Sam blinking drowsily.

“Sammy!” he gasped.

Sam’s lips tugged up into a smile. “Sorry I’m late.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

As Dean stared into his brother’s reddened eyes, stunned, Mary bent her head over Sam’s chest and began to sob with relief.

Sam brought up a shaking hand and stroked her hair. “Hey, Mom.” His voice was still little more than a whisper.

“Sam,” she moaned.

He smiled slightly. “Yeah.”

Dean cleared his throat, forcing away the sob building in his own throat and grinned down at Sam. “Hey,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“Been better,” Sam admitted, his voice a little rasping.

Dean thought having Mary against his chest wasn’t helping, so he took her shoulders and eased her up. “Come on, Mom. Give him a little space.”

Mary rose up, tears painting her face, and held Sam’s face in her hands. “Don’t you ever do that to me again, Sam!” she said fiercely.

“I’ll do my best,” Sam said. “But I am a Winchester.”

It caused a twist in Dean’s gut to hear it. The thought that being killed was an occupational hazard of being a Winchester, that he may lose Sam again, was unbearable.

His feelings must have shown as Sam raised a hand and reached out to him. Dean took it and gripped it hard, feeling Sam’s weak squeeze in response and then dropped it back to his side.

“Do you need anything?” Mary asked Sam.

“I’d like to sit up,” he said. “I feel ridiculous lying here like this.”

“Not a chance,” Dean said. “You need to rest.”

“I can find more pillows,” Mary said. “Prop you up a little.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Sam said.

Mary kissed his temple then stood and walked out of the cabin.

Sam watched her go, a small frown on his brow. Dean wondered what he was thinking. Was he noting the changes in her, how affectionate she was being? Was it possible that he didn’t understand what had happened to her when she’d thought he was gone for good? He hoped that this would be enough to show Sam that Mary loved him just as much as Dean. She was their mother still; even though she had left them before, she still needed them both.

“How are you doing?” Sam asked.

“I’ve been better, too.”

Sam nodded. “You found her though. Is Jack here, too?”

“Yeah, he’s doing good. He’s really come through with the angels. We had to do a supply run to get some stuff for you, and we came up against some hardcore angels. He rocked it.”

Sam lifted his hand and looked at the IV in the back of his hand. “You didn’t need to put yourselves out there like that for me.”

“We did,” Dean said seriously. “You needed it, and we needed you to have it.”

Sam smiled slightly. “What else has been happening?” Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Lucifer! I forgot. Dean, he’s here. Rowena shoved him through the rift. He’s looking for Jack. We have to do something.” His breaths came hard and fast, the beginning of a panic attack, and Dean laid a hand on his chest.

“Easy, Sammy. It’s okay. He’s already here.”

“He’s here!” Sam struggled to push himself upright, but Dean moved his hands to Sam’s shoulders, and easily pushed him back into the pillows.

“He is, but he’s unconscious and locked down. He can’t hurt anyone. Jack knocked him out, and Gabriel did some Enochian mojo to the chains we used on him. He’s not getting anywhere near you.”

 “But Jack?”

“Can handle this. He faced him and laid him out.”

Sam nodded, his breaths relaxing. “Okay. Good.”

Dean sat down in the chair beside the bed and leaned forward. “Lucifer told us what he did to you, the deal he offered.”

Sam looked into his eyes, seeming to need to communicate something more than words with him. “I couldn’t do it, Dean. I couldn’t say yes to him again. I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Dean said. “ _I’m_ sorry. I left you in that place alone. Those vampires had you, and I…”

“You had no choice. If you’d stayed, you would have died, too.”

“We would have died together,” Dean said, “just like you said.”

Sam shook his head slightly, as if he didn’t have the energy for more movement. “That was a dumb idea. My worst. One of us had to make it out to get to Mom and Jack. I’m glad it was you.”

Dean saw his obvious sincerity, and it made him feel even worse. He would have wanted Sam to get out in his place, too, but he hated that Sam was willing to do that for him.

There was movement at the door and Jack rushed in. “Mary said…” he started, looking past Dean to the smiling person on the bed, “Sam!”

He crossed the room in long strides, and lifted Sam half out of the bed with his hug.

“Easy, Jack,” Dean said, standing and raising a hand to stop him as Sam huffed a laugh.

“Sorry!” Jack said quickly, lowering Sam gently and stepping back.

“It’s fine,” Sam said. “It’s good to see you, too, Jack.”

Mary came in with a collection of blankets and bags in her arms and said, “I couldn’t get pillows, but I’ve got some stuff we can sit you up a little with.

“Great,” Sam said. He gripped the side of the bed and tried to pull himself up. Dean could see his arm shaking with strain though, so he held Sam’s back and supported him while Mary tucked things behind him and covered them with a blanket and the two thin pillows from the cot. Dean eased Sam back down and checked his face as he settled against the supports. He did look better now than he had lying flat, and definitely happier. Now that Sam was propped up, Dean took the opportunity to get more fluids into him and handed him the water bottle he had filled when he had been preparing to recover Sam’s body.

“How are you doing, Jack?” Sam asked, taking a long drink from the bottle.

“Better now you’re awake.”

Sam smiled slightly. “Me too. But what about Lucifer?”

Jack’s expression darkened. “I hate him.”

“You’re not the only one,” Sam said seriously. “Dean said you knocked him out.”

“Yes. That felt good.”

“Shame I missed it,” Sam said.

“I can do it again,” Jack offered.

Sam laughed softly. “I might take you up on that.” He looked around. “Where’s Cas?”

“Here,” Castiel said from the doorway.

“Hey,” Sam said. “You okay?”

Castiel came a little deeper into the room, but he still held himself back from the people around the bed. He seemed reluctant and his gaze was searching as he fixed his eyes on Sam. Dean wondered what the problem was. Could Castiel see something in Sam that he wasn’t telling them? Dean needed to know, but he couldn’t ask him in front of the others. Sam was fighting, and Mary and Jack seemed so happy. Dean didn’t want to take that from them with bad news.

Dean was feeling good. He had his family around him again, reunited at last, and though there were still issues they had to deal with, things that needed to be said, for now it was all okay.

That, of course, was the moment things went downhill again.

“Hey, Jack, you got a minute?” Lucifer shouted.

A dour silence fell over the room that no one seemed willing to break. Eventually, Dean cleared his throat and said, “We better get this over with.”

Jack made toward the door, but Dean caught his arm. “You don’t need to do this, kid. You owe him nothing. I’ll go talk to him.”

“No, I should,” Jack said. “I’m not scared of him.”

“We know,” Mary said gently. “But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“I think I do,” Jack said. “I can’t ignore him forever.”

“I’ll come with you,” Dean said. “Mom, can you stay here with Sam?”

“I don’t need anyone to stay,” Sam protested. “I’m fine.”

Dean looked at him, taking in his pallor and the fact his eyes were drooping. He wasn’t okay. He was still sick and drained, and it was going to take more than one IV and a few sips of water to get him back on his feet. Of course Sam wouldn’t see that. He was damn stubborn. Dean couldn’t give him the independence of taking care of himself alone though. He had lost him once already since they’d arrived in this place. He wasn’t going through that again.

“Eat something,” Dean said. “We got a stash of candy.”

Sam frowned. “I don’t need—”

“Please, Sam, don’t argue this time. I need you to let us take care of you,” Dean said. “Mom will stay.”

“I will,” Mary said decisively. “Where’s the candy?”

Dean handed her a bag and she unzipped it.

“You ready, Jack?” he asked.

Jack didn’t answer, but he walked to the door and after a brief pause, he walked outside. Dean and Castiel followed and made their way over to the tree at the edge of the camp where Lucifer was tethered.   

Lucifer smiled as they came to a stop in front of him, and he fixed his eyes on Jack. “So, that wasn’t the greeting I was expecting, but I can work with it. I have a temper, too. Like father, like son, huh?”

“I am nothing like you,” Jack spat.

Lucifer ignored his hostility and asked, “How’ve you been?”

Jack glowered at him. “I know what you did to Sam.”

“Which time?” Lucifer asked. “I’ve done kinda a lot to him. Not that it matters now. I am a changed man. You’ll see.”

“You left him with those vampires,” Jack accused. “You left him to die.”

“I brought him back first. Dying _again…_ that was his choice,” Lucifer said. “I was just respecting his wishes. My days of overpowering his will are over. Like I said, changed man. Sure, he’s dead now. But you can comfort yourself knowing it happened on his terms. I did the right thing by him.”

Though Dean knew Sam was in the cabin behind him, awake and healing, the easy way Lucifer spoke about Sam’s death made Dean’s chest ache. It had been among the worst moments of his life, and it was being treated like a joke.

Jack shook his head. “You’re a monster.”

“I’m really not. Not anymore. I’m a good guy now. I’ll prove it to you. You’re obviously upset about Sam, so I’ll help him. I’ll go back there and save him, again, if you come with me. See what I can offer you, Jack? I can be the father you need. Come on, let’s go. Let me free and we’ll go get Sammy. Together.”

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but Dean spoke over him.

He didn’t want Lucifer to know Sam was alive. If he knew he was there, he would surely use the opportunity to taunt and hurt Sam. His brother was already going through enough without being upset by Lucifer again. He’d had enough of that in his lifetime. “We’re not making any deals with you.”

Lucifer looked startled. “Really? You’re not prepared to go to save him? I thought you would do anything for your brother.”

“Sam chose not to deal with you,” Dean said. “I am making the same choice.”

“Wow. I am disappointed in you, Dean, surprised obviously, but more disappointed. Sam would have expected better from you.”

“You don’t know him,” Mary spat.

“I did though,” Lucifer said with an evil smile. “I spent almost two centuries getting to know Sam in the Cage. None of you will ever know him so well as I do. You know that, don’t you, Dean? You understand.”

Dean just glared at him.

Lucifer sighed. “I really thought you would make a different choice; I thought you loved him.”

“We do,” Castiel said brutally.

“You’ve got a funny way of showing it,” Lucifer said. He rolled his neck. “So, if you’re not going to save Sam, what are you going to do with me?”

“We’re still deciding,” Dean said.

Lucifer nodded. “The fact you’ve not killed me already means you won’t. Jack won’t let you, will you, Son?”

“I would,” Jack said, staring into his eyes with hatred.

“You really wouldn’t. You’re still new to life. I have been alive for eons. I know people. You are a part of me, and that won’t let you kill me. It’s why my father couldn’t kill me. He banished me instead.”

“That’s another idea,” Dean said. “Maybe we’ll send you back there instead.”

“You could try,” he said calmly. “But not without me taking something with me. Sam doesn’t belong in this world. He doesn’t belong in this Heaven. There is no place for him, so he’s still out there in the veil. I will scoop up his soul and drag it down with me if you try. Maybe you don’t care enough to bring him back, but I’m pretty sure you won’t send him back there with me.”

Dean shuddered and Castiel stepped closer to him and brushed against his elbow. He knew Lucifer couldn’t do it, Sam was alive now, but the thought of him being back in that place turned his stomach.

“You know what I’m talking about, right, Castiel? You were there; you saw what I did to him before you swooped in and rescued him. And that was just the start. It was so much better when I just had the soul.”

“Not much with the charm offensive, are you, Lucifer? You’re not going about forging a relationship with your son in the right way,” Gabriel said.

“That’s okay,” Lucifer said. “It’s fated for Jack and me to be together. It will happen in time. I am his father. Besides, you really won’t kill me while you need me.”

“What do we need from you?” Dean asked.

“Help,” Lucifer said simply. “The fact is you’re here, in nightmare world, and you haven’t had my son punch a hole through the universe yet to take you home. That means there’s still something you want here. You want him dead, don’t you, Mary.” He stared at Jack. “And so do you.”

Jack nodded slowly. “I _will_ kill him.”

“Then you’re going to need me,” Lucifer said confidently. “You’ve got to have an archangel to wield the blade, and Gabriel doesn’t really count right now. He’s tapped out. I’m the only game in town, chock full of grace.” He grinned. “Even at full power, Gabriel was never as powerful as me or Michael. He was the baby brother, dogging our heels. You know how that works, Dean. You might as well let me free now so we can start planning.”

“How did you get your grace back?” Gabriel asked curiously. “We _drained_ you.”

“I got by with a little help from my friends,” Lucifer said. “Well, not friends. Enemies in fact. But they did the job.”

“You drained other angels,” Gabriel said, disgusted.

“Yep,” Lucifer said with relish. “They were nummy.”

Dean stared at him, hating him but also embracing the idea he had given him. Dean thought he knew how they were going to do this now. Lucifer _wasn’t_ the only game in town. They had Gabriel, too, and though he was drained, he was still an archangel.

He was torn between what he wanted and what he should do though. He _wanted_ Sam back in their world, at a hospital or at least in the bunker recovering, not that cabin, but they had a responsibility to the people here. They had a job to do. He needed to get advice from the others.

“Cas, can you stay with him?” Dean asked. “I need to talk to Gabriel.”

“Of course,” Castiel said.

“Oooh, I sense a plot twist,” Lucifer said. “What are you thinking, Dean? You finally realizing I’m your best shot? Let me free and we can talk.”

Dean turned away from him and walked back to the cabin with Gabriel and Jack following him.

Sam and Mary looked up as he came in, and Sam asked, “What’s going on?”

Dean looked at Gabriel. “I have an idea for how to defeat Michael.”

“Yeah? Share with the class, Dean. What are you plotting?”

Dean took a breath. “We’re going to need Lucifer…” 


	8. Chapter 8

“Hey, Jack, you got a minute?” Lucifer’s shout carried across the compound.

Whenever he heard Lucifer’s voice, Sam felt fear. It brought back memories of words being crooned to him as he was sliced and torn into in the Cage. Even when the words weren’t directed at him, the very sound of that voice normally made chills run up and down his spine. Except this time Sam wasn’t scared. He heard it now and remembered his time in the Cage, but he felt no fear. They were just words to him now. He felt strong.

It was incredible.

He had finally taken back control from Lucifer, gotten a handle on himself and the memories of what had happened to him. It was still there, the horror and pain in his memories, and Sam was scared for Jack, but Lucifer had lost his hold over him. He couldn’t make Sam quake with just words anymore. He was powerless in the face of Sam’s strength, his control. Lucifer had broken him, but he had rebuilt himself. He wouldn’t break again. In refusing Lucifer’s deal, Sam had won.

He was marveling at what he was feeling, and he didn’t notice what was happening around him until he heard his name mentioned.

“Mom, can you stay here with Sam?”

“I don’t need anyone to stay,” Sam protested. “I’m fine.”

Dean looked at him, seeming to be taking in every inch of him. It made Sam uncomfortable to be surveyed like that. It was as if Dean was seeing more than just his brother there, though what it was, Sam didn’t know.

“Eat something,” Dean said. “We got a stash of candy.”

Sam frowned. “I don’t need—”

“Please, Sam, don’t argue this time. I need you to let us take care of you,” Dean said desperately. “Mom will stay.”

As Sam studied his brother, he finally understood. Dean wasn’t benching him because he was doubting Sam or being needlessly overprotective; he was actually scared. He had seen too much recently to give Sam free rein now. Sam had to accept that and give Dean, and his mother, what they needed.  

“I will,” Mary said decisively. “Where’s the candy?”

Dean handed her a bag and she unzipped it as he and the others walked out of the cabin. Sam saw a stash of candy in faded wrappers in the bag, and he smiled. Of course, Dean would come back from a hospital with a bag full of candy. He had to admit though, that both Jack and Dean had really come through for him with the IV. He knew he would be dangerously dehydrated without it.

“Here, Sam,” Mary said, handing him a Three Musketeers bar with the wrapper peeled back so he could hold it. He remembered Dean giving him his candy like this so he wouldn’t get chocolate on his hands when he was a kid. It made him smile to see that Mary was doing it for him now.

“Thanks, Mom,” he said, taking a bite. 

She smiled at him and adjusted the blanket covering him. It felt strange to be taken care of like this, by a real mother. She hadn’t been like that since she’d been brought back. It was a good kind of strange though. Sam never thought he would have her like this.

She settled in the seat beside him again and nodded encouragingly as he ate the candy bar. He felt a little nauseous, but he knew the sugar would do him good if he could keep it down. It was a relief to finish though.

Mary took the wrapper from him and balled it in her hand. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better,” Sam lied.

She looked pleased. “That’s good.”

“How are you, Mom?” Sam asked.

“I’m okay,” she said quickly. “It’s so good to see you boys again, even though I wish it wasn’t here.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I can’t believe you came.”

“Why not?” Sam asked. “We’ve been trying to find a way ever since Lucifer dragged you through. I just wish we could have come faster. We let you down.”

“You didn’t,” she said fervently. “You died trying to get to me, Sam!”

“I’m fine now, though,” Sam said.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, maybe not _fine_ yet, but I will be. Really. Mom, it was worth it. Even when the vampires first had hold of me, when I knew I was going to die, I didn’t regret coming. I believed Dean and the others would get out and make it to you, and that was what mattered. I needed you all to be safe.”

“You matter,” she said.

“I know that.” Sam did know, but he also knew that a life given so someone else could live was worth it. His death had distracted the vampires and enabled the others to get out of the tunnels, and that was what he cared about. He was back now, and that was great, but he wouldn’t have regretted his final moments if, indeed, they had been his final moments. He would have died to save his family.

“How are you, really?” Sam asked. “It must have been awful for you here with Lucifer.”

“Michael was worse. He was the one that… I can’t think about it.”

“I get that.” There were parts of his life that Sam couldn’t think about either. Lucifer might have lost his hold over him, but the memories of what he and Michael had done to him were there and painful still.

“Of course, you do,” she said sadly. “Michael had you, too, didn’t he? When you were in that cage I mean. They were both there.”

Sam nodded. “They were.”

“I hate to think of you going through that.”

Sam shrugged. “It’s over now. Things are better now we’re all together.”

Mary squeezed his hand. “They are.”

Sam relaxed against his pillows and sighed. He felt incredibly weary, as if he could sleep for a week. He hated feeling like this, weakened, especially as Mary and Dean were there to see it. He wanted to be stronger for them. If he was on his feet, he would be able to show them he was okay. As it was, he had to lie on this bed like an invalid.

There was movement at the door and Dean came in followed by Jack and Castiel. Dean looked solemn and Jack and Gabriel mildly confused.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked.

“I have an idea for how to defeat Michael,” Dean said, his eyes fixed on Gabriel.

“Yeah? Share with the class, Dean. What are you plotting?”

Dean took a breath. “We’re going to need Lucifer…” 

“Why?” Jack asked, sounding betrayed.

Dean looked at him apologetically. “Because he’s the only fully powered archangel here right now.”

“What are you thinking, Dean?” Sam asked.

Dean pressed his fingertips to his temples as if to stave off a headache. “First off, how are you feeling, Sam? _Really_.”

“Tired,” Sam admitted. “I’m going to feel that way though. Otherwise I’m fine. I just need a little time.”

“Do you want to go home?” Dean asked. “Right now, we’re treating you with a jerry-rigged IV bag and chocolate, but if we get you back to the rift, you can go to a real hospital with real doctors and medicine and blood transfusions. They can fix you up properly.”

Sam considered the option. He felt that more rode on his decision than simply him going to get help. The way Mary and Jack were looking at each other made him think they were against the idea.

“What about the rest of you?” he asked. “What do you want?”

“We all talked about it before you came back,” Dean said. “We agreed that we were going to stay and take care of Michael. But that was when you were dead. It’s different now. If you want to get out of here and get proper treatment, we’ll fix that for you. Jack can get you to the rift.”

“No,” Sam said. “I’m not going home unless we’re all going together. Michael needs to be stopped here, and we can’t leave Lucifer.”

Mary touched his arm and Sam looked at her. She looked relieved. Sam thought her decision had already been made. She wasn’t going back until this was over. It should have bothered him that she was choosing to stay here after all it had taken them to get here to save her, and it did in a way, but he realized that he should have expected it. He loved her, she was his mom, but she wasn’t the person he had thought she was before he met her again, before she chose to leave them and work with the British instead of being with them.

“Are you sure?” Dean asked, staring into his eyes with surprising intensity. Sam thought he was willing him to make another choice. He couldn’t though. If Mary was staying here, so was he. He might not be a lot of use the way he was, but he would find something that he could do to help.

“I’m sure. I’m better than I was already. I’ve got the IV and I’ve eaten candy. I’ll be stronger soon, I’m sure.”

Dean nodded. “And if staying here means the rift closes and we’re trapped?” he asked.

“I’m not going to live in our world alone,” Sam said stiffly. “And I know we’re not all willing to go home.”

Dean cast Mary a quick look, and Sam thought he saw anger there before he quickly schooled his expression into something neutral. Mary squeezed Sam’s hand and released it. Sam felt the loss immediately.

“Do we need the other rift?” Sam asked, turning to Jack. “You got one open before. Can you do it again?”

All eyes fell on him and Jack looked uncomfortable. “I think so. I needed Kaia before to find the right place to open. I know our world though. I should be able to find it again.”

“Should,” Dean said pointedly.

“I’m staying,” Sam said. “There’s work for us here. And if Jack can’t get us home straight away, we work on it until he can.”

Dean nodded slowly. “Okay. Fine.”

“That’s decided then,” Gabriel said. “So, spill, Dean. What do we need Lucifer for?”

“To kill Michael,” Dean said. “You’re too weak to handle the archangel blade right now.”

“I’m not sure weak is the right word,” Gabriel said testily.

“But you can’t use the blade,” Jack said.

“Thanks, kid,” Gabriel said. “Be sure to remind me to kick you when you’re down next time.”

“Be serious, Gabriel,” Dean said. “Can you use the blade to kill Michael or Lucifer?”

“No,” Gabriel admitted. “Not the way I am.”

“That’s why we need Lucifer,” Dean said.

“Are you talking about giving him the blade, Dean?” Mary asked.

Sam’s gaze snapped to his brother, stunned. He didn’t want to think Dean was going to suggest that, not after everything Lucifer had done, but they had made deals with the devil before.

“No,” Dean said. “I’m talking about using it to take his grace for Gabriel so _he_ can use the blade. Take it, power Gabriel up, and then _he_ kills Michael.”

“What happens to Lucifer if he loses all his grace?” Jack asked.

“He becomes human,” Sam said. The idea was turning over in his mind, and he was liking it. To make Lucifer human, one of the beings he hated more than anything, seemed like the perfect revenge. And if he was human, he would be easy to kill. They could end him at last.  

“You want me to take Lucifer’s grace?” Gabriel asked.

Dean nodded. “Do you think I’m nuts?”

“Usually, yes, you’ve backed it up with some crazy crap before, but this time I think you’re a genius. Sure, cannibalism aside, I don’t want any part of my brother in me, but for this, I’ll do it. If it takes out him _and_ Michael, it’s worth it. It’d be good to see an apocalypse through from start to finish for a change. Let’s do this.”

“Sam?” Dean prompted.

“I think it’s perfect,” Sam said. “Gabriel’s right: you’re a genius.”

“I say we do it,” Mary said. “Michael needs to die, and Lucifer deserves whatever we throw at him.”

“Yes,” Jack said. “We have to. We have to stop Michael for these people.”

“We’re doing it then,” Dean said.

“We need to find out where Michael is first,” Gabriel said. “Since Lucifer’s grace isn’t mine, it won’t live in me; it will burn. I’ll need to go straight from Lucifer to Michael to be at the top of my game.”

Sam remembered Castiel when he was using stolen grace to power himself. At the end he had been dying from it. He didn’t think the same would happen to Gabriel, as he still had some of his own grace in him, but they needed to strike at the right moment.

He closed his eyes and relaxed, exhausted. He felt like he had used his reserves of strength to get him to this point, and now that there was a plan in place, he could let go of the fight for a while and rest.

“Okay,” Dean said loudly, making Sam’s eyes snap open. “Everyone out. Sam needs to sleep.”

“I’m okay,” Sam lied.

“No,” Dean said firmly. “You’re not. You get some sleep, and we’ll hand out some snacks. These people could do with a lift.”

“The candy,” Jack said excitedly.

“Yeah, you want to do the honors?” Dean asked, holding out the bag.

Jack took it and pulled out a Three Musketeers bar. “These are the best,” he said. “I like nougat.”

Mary smiled at him fondly. “Then make sure you keep one of them back for yourself.”

Jack smiled widely and left the cabin with the bag clutched in his hand. Gabriel watched after him and said, “Hell, it’s been a while. Where the candy goes, I go, too.”

Left alone with his mother and brother, Sam yawned.

“Sleep, Sam,” Mary said. “We’ll stay with you.”

“You don’t need to,” Sam said drowsily. “I’ll be okay here. Someone should go explain to Cas what’s happening.”

“I’ll do that,” Dean said. “Mom will stay with you.”

“You really don’t…” Sam trailed off as Mary placed a hand on his cheek

“I’m staying,” she said. “Now sleep.”

Sam smiled at her and allowed his eyes to drift closed, happy in the moment. He still felt weak and he hated that they felt the need to stay to take care of him, but the fact they were there, his family was together, made him feel better.

As he drifted off to sleep, he felt more content than he had in a long time.

xXx

When Sam woke, the light outside the windows had been replaced with darkness and there was a chill in the air. He guessed it was early morning. He looked around and saw Dean was lying on the floor close to the cot under a thin blanket. Sam thought he must be cold. The door was open and he considered the logistics of getting up to close it, to trap some scant warmth in for his brother, but as he struggled to sit up, it creaked open further and Castiel stepped inside.

“Hello, Sam,” he said dourly.

“Cas, what’s going on?” he whispered so as not to wake Dean. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” Sam said, unconvinced by Castiel’s reassuring words. He didn’t look okay, He looked strained and there was something in his eyes that Sam couldn’t define. It was a kind of deep sadness and something more.

“What’s wrong, Cas?” he asked. “I know there’s something.”

“I need to talk to you,” Castiel said. “I have been waiting to speak to you alone, but you’re never left alone. I didn’t want to wake you, but when I heard you wake…” He came deeper into the room and bent to Dean. He pressed his fingers to Dean’s temple and then straightened. “He won’t wake up now. We can talk.”

“What do you need to talk about?” Sam asked.

“What I did in that tunnel,” Castiel said, pulling over the chair that Mary had spent so much time in.  

Sam frowned. “What did you do?”

“I left you. I made Dean leave you.” The angel’s shoulders were slumped as though he carried a heavy load.

Sam sighed as he understood. “I know. I could hear you still.”

Castiel’s face fell into lines of misery. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Sam said.

“No, it isn’t. I made him leave you there to die. I was so consumed by the mission, by getting here, that I didn’t fight for you.”

Sam remembered how it had felt in that cave, when he had been dying in agony and he’d heard Castiel’s words to Dean. _“It’s too late.”_

He hadn’t felt anger that Castiel was denying him help; he had felt relief. It _had been_ too late for him. He had known that the moment the vamps had ripped the side of his neck out. If Dean had stayed, had tried to come after him, he would have died, too, and Sam couldn’t bear that.

“You made the right choice,” Sam said. “You saved his life. Maggie’s, too. If you hadn’t stopped him, it would have been you and Gabriel getting here to Jack and my Mom alone; Mom didn’t need to lose both of us. I’m glad you stopped him.”

“I don’t think Dean agrees,” Castiel said.

“I think he does. He might not want to, but he knows you had no choice. I was as good as dead already.”

“He went back for you,” Castiel said.

“What?”

“After we arrived here, Dean and your mother wanted to go back for your body. Dean persuaded your mother to stay, and he and Jack went back alone.”

“They shouldn’t have done that!” Sam said, his breaths speeding up in frustration. “They could have been killed!”

Castiel stared into his eyes. “Do you think that mattered to them when you were gone?”

Sam leaned back against the pillows and shook his head, forcing himself to calm down, to slow down his frantic breathing. Dean had been stupid going back for him. What did it matter where his body ended up when his soul was already gone?

“Would you have done anything different?” Castiel asked,

Sam couldn’t lie to him. “No.”

“Then you have to understand he had no choice. You’re back now, but that was not down to me or Gabriel, or even Dean and Jack.”

“Yeah, it was Lucifer,” Sam said resentfully.

“Yes,” Castiel said seriously. “And I can imagine how that must feel for you, to be indebted to the one that hurt you so much.”

“I don’t feel any debt to him. He brought me back, and I’m grateful to be here, but he didn’t do it for me. He wanted me to get him to Jack. I didn’t do that. Even though he ended up here anyway, I didn’t do it for him. He didn’t break me again.”

Castiel nodded slowly. “I think I understand that.”

“He’s lost the power,” Sam went on. “I’m not talking about what we’re going to do to him. I mean the power he’s had over me for so long. He’s not the monster from my dreams anymore. When I said no to him, I felt different. I took control.”

Castiel smiled slightly. “You were stronger.”

“I won,” Sam said simply.

“Again.”

“No, not again. Last time I beat him down and took him into the Cage, but he won by what he did to me there. He ruined me. This time I said no and it was for me. I beat him because I didn’t let him take my will. If you and Dean had taken my body, I would never have had that chance.”

Castiel smiled down at him. “I’m still sorry for leaving you, but I am glad that you are here now and that you were able to stand up to Lucifer.”

Sam wanted to continue the conversation, but his eyes were heavy and the angel suddenly stood up. “I’m sorry, Sam. I shouldn’t have stayed for so long. You’re still recovering and you need to be resting.”

Sam started to protest, but Castiel was already heading for the door. By the time the door clicked shut, the hunter was asleep again.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam must have been exhausted, as he slept through the rest of the day and didn’t even wake when Dean went in to change his IV to a fresh bag.

Dean was pleased he was sleeping. He was looking better now, but he was still obviously weak. It was easier to keep him in bed when he was sleeping, too. Awake he would want to push himself. Dean understood the desire, but he needed Sam to take it easy for both their sakes. Sam needed to heal and Dean needed him to get back on his feet in his own time. He had been a mess when he’d arrived, and he couldn’t get the image of those terrible wounds and Sam’s pallor out of his head. Just because the visible injuries were gone at Castiel’s hand, the blood loss they’d caused wasn’t. Sam needed to give himself time.

He disconnected the empty bag and unhooked it from its nail on the wall. He took the fresh bag and connected it to the cannula in the back of Sam’s hand. He hung it up on the wall and unclamped the tubing then checked the flow. Satisfied, he tossed the empty bag onto the desk and adjusted the blankets around Sam.

The door creaked open and Mary came in carrying blankets and a pillow. She set them down on the desk. “I thought you’d want to stay with Sam,” she said. “Everyone else is bedding down for the night. Gabriel and Cas are going to stand guard over Lucifer.”

“Where are you going to sleep?” Dean asked.

“Jack and I have a tent. I can stay here if you need me to though. You just have to ask.”

“No, me and Sammy will be fine alone.”

“How is he?” Mary asked, coming deeper into the room and looking Sam over.  

“As good as he can be here,” Dean said a little bitterly. “And since we’re staying, that’s all we can hope for.”

Mary frowned. “Are you mad at me?”

Dean turned away. He _was_ angry with his mother. Sam was staying here because of her. He had decided to stay when Sam was dead, but that had been different. By staying then he was keeping a connection to Sam as well as helping people. Now that Sam actually needed him, needed outside help, they couldn’t leave.

Mary caught his arm and turned him. “Sam chose to stay,” she said. “I didn’t say anything to him.”

“Like you needed to,” Dean said. “It was obvious what you wanted. Sam had to choose between helping you or helping himself, and he chose you. He couldn’t do anything different.”

“I didn’t force him,” she said defensively.

“You don’t even see it, do you?” Dean asked. “You didn’t have to say a word to force him. You’re his mom. Sam was so sure we’d get you back. From the minute we lost you, Sam was fighting to get you back. When I gave up, Sam didn’t. He fought reality until he couldn’t anymore, and that nearly broke him. He got so damn low, and I couldn’t drag him up again. It took us arriving here to set him free from that; he was happy and then he died. He died trying to get you back.”

“I know,” she said mournfully. “Do you really think you hate that any more than I do?”

The honest answer was yes, so Dean stayed silent. Mary seemed to understand his answer anyway.

“He’s my son, Dean.”

“And he’s my brother,” Dean said. “I have been with him since day one. I know him. I lost him.”

Mary reached for him but Dean pulled away. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through,” she said. “All of it. This isn’t what I wanted for you.”

“But staying here is what you want,” Dean said.

Mary looked from him to Sam and her face became forlorn. “I want to save them.”

“I know,” Dean said. “You want to save them, but I want to save _him_.”

“He’ll be okay,” Mary said.

“You hope. You don’t know. All I know is that he’d be a lot better with real help.”

“Don’t hate me, Dean,” she said quietly.

“I don’t. I can’t. You’re my mom. I just wish you’d make a different choice. I wish you’d put us first.”

“If that’s what you and Sam really need, I will,” she said. “I’ll come home with you.”

He could tell it was costing her something to make the offer, and he didn’t believe she really meant it.

“If you did, you’d hate us for it,” he said.

Mary looked as though she was grappling for words, though Dean knew nothing she said was going to make a difference. She would hate them, and she was staying, therefore they all were, Sam included. And he probably would be okay. He was doing better already, but that didn’t mean he should have to struggle back in this place. He deserved better.

Dean picked up the bedding from the desk and began to make a bed on the floor, a pointed end to the conversation.

“I’ll leave you alone,” Mary said. “You sleep well.”

“You too,” Dean said.

She walked to the door and hesitated on the threshold. “I love you, Dean. I love you both.”

“I know,” Dean said. “You should tell Sammy that, too, though.”

“He knows,” she said.

Dean looked her in the eye. “Maybe. He could do with hearing it anyway.”

Mary looked confused, but Dean had no energy to explain what her guilt and self-imposed distance had done to Sam, what it had made him think.

“Night, Mom.”

She sighed and nodded at the dismissal. “Goodnight, Dean.”

She clicked the door closed behind her, and Dean lay down beside the cot. He rolled over and closed his eyes, “Goodnight, Sammy,” he said, trying to let himself relax enough to sleep.

xXx

Dean woke the to creak of bedsprings. He struggled to open his eyes and said, “You okay, Sammy?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sam said, his voice a little strained.

Dean forced his eyes open and sat up to see Sam sitting on the edge of the cot, fiddling with the IV.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Getting up,” Sam said. He pinched off the IV and disconnected it from the back of his hand.

Dean scrambled to his feet. “No, you’re not. You’re going to keep your ass in that bed and rest. Whatever you need, I can get it for you.”

Sam grinned. “I need the bathroom. Can you do that for me?”

Dean looked around the room for an alternative. There was a bottle he could use, though he didn’t think Sam would be on board for the idea. He reached for it anyway and, as he expected, Sam shook his had. “No way.”

Dean sighed. “Sam, you need to rest.”

“Trust me, I need the bathroom more,” Sam said.

“Fine. But you’re not going to like what they call a bathroom here.”

Sam laughed and held out a hand. “Help me?”

Dean got an arm under him and helped him to his feet. Sam wavered for a moment, then seemed to get his legs under him.

“How’s that feel?” Dean asked.

“Good,” Sam said. “Damn good actually.”

He made his unsteady way across the room and Dean held the door open for him then followed him out.

“Over here,” he said, leading him to the hut that passed as a latrine here.

Sam came to a stop and leaned against the corner for a moment, and then pulled the door open.

“You going to be okay in there?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Sam said easily.

He went in and pushed the door closed behind him. Dean turned and looked around the camp. He couldn’t see Lucifer and his guards as they were concealed by the side of the cabin, and Mary and Jack were nowhere in sight. He guessed they were still sleeping. He was pleased. He wanted a little time alone with Sam before the craziness all started again.

Sam came out and tottered to the bucket of water to clean his hands.

“Back to bed,” Dean ordered.

“Where’s Lucifer?” he asked.

“In the woods around the side of the cabin,” Dean said. “Why?”

“I want to see him,” Sam said.

“You really don’t.”

Sam frowned at him. “Why not?”

“Because he’s a dick, Sam. Talking to him is going to do nothing good for you. He doesn’t even know you’re alive, so seeing him is just going to open up all kinds of crap. Just leave it.”

Sam looked mutinous, but Dean stared him down. He didn’t want Sam seeing him; more importantly, he didn’t want Lucifer seeing Sam. Lucifer would find a way to hurt Sam if he knew he was back, and Dean wanted to spare his brother that. He had already been through enough at the archangel’s hands and words.

Sam didn’t speak, but he walked back toward the cabin and went inside. Dean followed him, hoping Sam was going back to bed, but Sam picked up the chair and tried to carry it away from the cot.

“What are you doing?” Dean asked, blocking his path.

“I’m going to sit outside,” Sam said. “I don’t need another IV right now. I can make out okay with water and candy.”

Dean wanted to argue, but Sam had already conceded on seeing Lucifer, and he thought that was enough of a victory for now. It wouldn’t hurt Sam to sit outside, and if he could persuade him back into bed later, he’d hook the IV up again. It would probably do Sam good to be in the fresh air for a while.

“I’ve got it,” he said, taking the chair and carrying it outside. He set it down beside the door, and Sam sank down onto it gratefully with a word of thanks.

People were starting to appear from tent doors. Jack peered out of the door of one and smiled when he caught sight of Sam and Dean.

“Will you be okay here a while?” Dean asked. “There’s some stuff I need to do.”

“Sure,” Sam said.

Dean went back into the cabin and grabbed a bottle of water and candy bar for Sam and brought them out to him. Sam took them without argument and opened the water. Dean patted his shoulder and nodded to Jack who was making his way over before he walked around the cabin and headed to the place where Lucifer was chained up.

Gabriel and Castiel were with him, and Lucifer seemed to be extolling on the topic of his changed nature. Neither of them seemed moved by his words. He stopped as Dean approached and smiled up at him.

“Dean, it’s good to see you. Our conversation was cut off abruptly yesterday. Have you come to share your big idea?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?” he asked. “Oh. Have you come to the realization that I am your only hope for Sam? Get these chains off and we can go get him. I’ll have him living and breathing in no time.”

“No,” Dean said again. “I don’t need your help.”

Lucifer frowned. “You really feel that way? Is it possible that you have finally given up on him?”

“I will never give up on my brother,” Dean growled.

“Then what are you thinking?” Lucifer asked. “You can’t think Dad is going to…” He trailed off and looked past Dean.

Dean turned and saw Jack and Sam making their slow way over to him. Sam was walking unaided, but he looked as though he could do with some help. Dean guessed he didn’t want to look weak in front of his enemy.

Lucifer gaped at him for a moment, and then his lips curved into a wide smile. “Sam Winchester, alive again! How did you manage that? Was it you, Jack? I knew you were going to be powerful, but I had no idea you’d be able to do this. How did it feel?”

“I didn’t do it,” Jack said. “Sam did it all alone.”

Lucifer frowned. “How?”

Gabriel laughed as Sam made his careful way towards them. He came to a stop beside Dean, and Dean moved closer so he could support him if he needed it.

“You brought him back, Lucifer,” Gabriel said. “And left a grace bomb in his veins when you did.”

“Ahhh,” Lucifer said slowly. “Didn’t think of that.” He looked at Sam. “How did you get past the fang gang?”

“I fought,” Sam said.

“Must have been some fight.”

Sam stared into the eyes of the creature he so obviously hated and said, “It was. I won though. Just like I did against you. I’ve beaten you twice now. I’m alive and free, and you’re chained up. I think that means I really win.”

Dean stared at him brother and he felt a lump form in his throat at the power of Sam’s words. He had done it. He _had_ won. After everything Lucifer had done, Sam had taken back control. He was free of the monster.

“Maybe you do,” Lucifer said. “I can accept my losses. Well done, Sam. I’m glad I could play a small part in it. I wouldn’t have wanted Jack to lose you after all he’s been through. I’m a good man.”

“You’re not a man at all,” Jack sneered. “You’re the devil.”

“Words hurt, you know,” Lucifer said. “I guess none of your so-called dads here taught you that. I can accept it though. You need the influence of your real father to really see what life is all about. I’m here now. I can help you.”

“He doesn’t need your help,” Sam snapped. “He needs nothing from you.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Really? Well, Sammy, what’s the plan? You can’t keep me here indefinitely; I’ll eventually get free, and what happens then?”

“You won’t get free, Lucifer,” Gabriel said.

“Just say I do,” Lucifer said. “What happens then?”

“We kill you,” Jack said, his hands fisting at his sides as if he was fighting the urge to wrap them around Lucifer’s throat.

“Really, Jack? You’re not even a little curious about me?” Lucifer asked. “You don’t want to even try to get to know me?”

“I already know everything that matters.”

Lucifer’s lips twisted into a moue of regret. “I wish you’d give me a chance, Son. There is so much I can show you. If you kill me, you’ll never know.”

“We’re not killing you, Lucifer,” Sam said. “Not yet. We’ve got something better planned for you.”

“What?” Lucifer asked.

“Wait and see,” Sam said savagely.

For a moment, Lucifer looked disconcerted, but he quickly covered it with a smile.

Dean felt Sam’s weight fall against his arm, and he looked at Sam and saw he looked paler than he had when he’d woken. He’d spent himself already. He wanted to get Sam away, but he didn’t want to lessen the message Sam had delivered to Lucifer by making him seem weak.

“Come on, Sam,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to plan if we’re going to pull this off. The longer it takes, the longer we have to have this dick hanging around.”

Sam nodded and turned away. Staying close at his side in case he needed support, Dean walked with Sam back to the cabin. Sam went inside without argument and sat down on the edge of the cot. He didn’t protest when Dean hooked up the IV again either, which made Dean think he knew he had pushed himself too hard.

Castiel and Jack came in, and Jack grinned at Sam. “That was awesome, Sam.”

Sam gave a tired smile. “It felt good.”

“I am sure it did,” Castiel said seriously.

Dean knew he understood the power behind the words Sam had said. Castiel had seen everything Lucifer had done to Sam, even though he hadn’t always seemed to remember it with some of the choices he’d made. He knew what a big thing it was for Sam to stand up to Lucifer and declare his win at last; he knew it was Sam taking back control.

“What’s going on?” Mary asked, coming into the cabin. “Are you okay, Sam?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “We just had a little talk with Lucifer.”

She looked concerned. “How did that go?”

“Awesome,” Dean said.

She smiled and perched on the cot beside Sam. She wrapped an arm around him. Sam seemed pleased, and Dean wondered if she was feeling guilty still after their conversation the night before.

“We need to find Michael,” he said, and the light feeling in the air vanished. “How are we going to do that?”

“I don’t know,” Castiel said. “Neither Gabriel nor I can hear him on angel radio here.”

“Mom?” Dean asked. “You and Jack have been here longest. Any idea where we’ll find him?”

“He had a base in the Great Barren Plains but he left that empty. I don’t know where he went. Bobby might know more.”

“Where’s he?” Dean asked.

“His base in the Western District,” she said. “It will takes days to get there, and Sam will never be able to make it.”

“Can you get him, Jack?”

“I can try,” Jack said. “He might not want to come. His people are all there.”

“Tell him he has to,” Dean said. “This is how we can win the war.”

Mary smiled. “We can tell him that, but if you think he’ll come because you tell him to, you’re wrong. You know Bobby, right?”

Sam laughed. “That was pretty dumb, Dean. When did you ever know our Bobby do something because we told him to?”

Dean shook his head. “Good point. Okay, if he won’t come, see if he knows where Michael will be. I want to get this over fast.” He wanted to get Sam home. 

“I’ll come with you, Jack,” Mary said. “He might be more persuadable if we both try.”

Dean looked at her eager face and wondered if this was about them getting Sam home or about the other people. He wanted to believe it was about them, that she was fighting for them all, not just strangers, but he couldn’t be sure. He hated that he was thinking like this.

“We will come back as fast as we can,” Jack said.

Mary nodded and squeezed Sam to her. “I’ll see you boys soon,” she said, looking between them and getting to her feet. “I love you both.”

Sam looked startled, and Dean saw a flash of pain cross Mary’s face. He thought she was seeing her mistakes more clearly now.

“We’ll be here,” Dean said casually. “Be safe.”

Mary and Jack headed out of the cabin. Dean knew that once they reached the edge of the camp’s angel warding, Jack would have them at Bobby’s base in moments..

“What do we do now?” Sam asked.

“Wait,” Dean said. “Rest. Keep Lucifer locked down and hope Bobby will come through for us.”

Sam sighed and nodded. Dean knew he wanted to be doing more. He did, too. He wanted this over and them all home.

He wanted them all safe. 


	10. Chapter 10

With Sam asleep inside, Dean waited outside the cabin for Jack and Mary to get back—hopefully with Bobby. Castiel and Gabriel were with Lucifer, but Dean had no desire to be in the devil’s company any more than strictly necessary. Instead, he watched the people moving around the camp.

He wondered who they had been before the end of the world, what their lives had been like. How many of them had lost everything to the war but their own lives? How had they survived at all? He and Sam had been through some hard times, but they’d not lost their world like this. Sam had saved it for them. It had broken him, but he done it. And now he was complete again. He’d beaten the fear.

Castiel walked over to him and Dean saw his face was solemn. He came to a stop beside where Dean was leaning against the wall of the cabin and looked around. “Are you worried about Jack and your mother?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Dean said. “I know Mom is probably safer than we are right now since she’s with Jack, but I’ll still feel better when they’re back.”

“Jack is powerful,” Castiel agreed.

“He’s incredible. I’m counting on that.”

Castiel frowned. “Do you think Gabriel will need help to defeat Michael?”

“No. I think his grace, Lucifer’s, and his determination to do it will make him strong enough. It’s the other angels I’m thinking about. Michael’s not going to be alone, and they’re going to come for us while Gabriel is distracted. We’ll need Jack for them.”

“Who are you planning to take for the fight when we know where he is?” Castiel asked.

“Me and you, Gabriel and Jack. Sam and Mom have to stay here.”

“I agree that Sam should stay, but do you think you’ll be able to persuade your mother to step down from the fight? Gabriel told me about your conversation while I was watching Lucifer. He said she obviously wanted to stay and fight.”

“I’m hoping she’ll want to protect Sammy more than she wants to fight, but I don’t know. She’s made some different choices lately.”

Castiel nodded slowly. “And you’re angry about them.”

“I get what she wants to do,” Dean said. “I would want to help these people, too, I do want to help them, but I put Sam first, just like he would me. She doesn’t do that. Ever. Me and Sam have given everything for each other. She’s supposed to be our mom.”

“She is,” Castiel said. “I don’t pretend to understand her thoughts, but I know I have made mistakes myself before. I made choices that I thought were right, would save people, but they ultimately cost you and Sam as well as the world.”

Dean knew what he was talking about: Leviathans and Lucifer. Castiel had made some big mistakes.

Was he expecting too much of his mother? She loved them, he knew that, but she didn’t have the same bond he and Sam did. That wasn’t her fault; she hadn’t been there for it all. Maybe a mother’s love wasn’t all powerful the way he’d thought.

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see what she decides,” Dean said.

“Would you stay in her place?” Castiel asked.

“If I had to, yes,” Dean said. “I would stay here for Sam.”

Castiel smiled slightly and then started forward. “They’re back.”

Dean followed his gaze and saw Jack and his mom walking through the trees followed by Bobby and Charlie. He walked forward to meet them, and Bobby and Charlie smiled at him.

“Good to see you again, boy,” Bobby said, holding out a hand.

Dean shook it and felt the same pleasure at the sight of the man he had before. He wasn’t their Bobby, but he was as good as man as the Bobby he’d known, and Dean liked and respected him.

Charlie punched his arm. “It’s my knight in shining plaid. How are you doing?”

Dean grinned at her. “Good.”

“Are you here to keep our deal?” she asked.

“It’s not why I came,” Dean admitted. “But I figure since we’re here anyway, we can deal with your archangel problem.”

“Good enough for me,” Charlie said.

Bobby was looking around the camp. “Not a bad place you’ve made here, Mary.”

“It was Jack as much as me,” Mary said.

“Then you both did good,” Bobby said, his eyes coming to rest on Lucifer and Gabriel. “Why do you have an angel chained to a tree?” he asked.

“You’d prefer it free?” Castiel asked blankly.

“No, I’d prefer it dead.”

“We need it,” Dean said. “That’s Lucifer from our world.”   

Bobby blew out an angry breath. “And you brought him here because?”

“We didn’t bring him. Him coming was an accident, but since he’s here, we’re planning to use him,” Dean said.

“Some accident,” Bobby said.

“Hear us out,” Mary said. “We’ve got a way to end all this.”

“We better get it over then,” Bobby said. “We left that Ketch in charge back at our place, but I’d feel safer being there myself.”

“Come with us,” Dean said, turning and walking towards the cabin. He held up a hand to them at the door, and they stopped while he went inside.

Sam was sleeping still, his breaths steady and only the IV and his pallor showing how weak he still was. Dean didn’t want to wake him, but he knew Sam would be pissed if they had this conversation without him.

“Sammy,” he said, shaking his arm.

Sam opened his eyes and looked around blearily. “What’s going on?”

“Bobby is here,” Dean said. “You want to talk to him?”

“Yeah,” Sam said, pulling himself upright and reaching for the IV, He clamped it off and removed it from the back of his hand. He moved to stand but Dean held out a hand.

“You’re probably better off staying down. We’re going to talk in here and you’re going to need your energy for when we take Lucifer’s grace if you want to be there for that.”

“I do,” Sam said.

Dean checked Sam over and then went to open the door. “We’re set,” he said.

Mary gestured Bobby and Charlie in ahead of her, and they looked around the room, eyes falling on Sam.

Sam’s mouth dropped open at the sight of Charlie and his eyes grew wet. He seemed to teeter on the verge of speech for a moment, and then he looked down at his lap.

“Uh, hey,” Charlie said, her confused eyes on him.

“Hello, Charlie,” Sam said without looking up.

Dean knew what a big moment this was for him as it had been a big moment for him to see her the first time, too. She was so like their Charlie, but she was a completely different person at the same time. This wasn’t their chance to see the girl they had loved as a sister again, no matter how much they’d wanted it to be.  

“What happened to you, Sam?” Bobby asked.

“They came through the Morehead Tunnel,” Mary explained.

“That place is crawling with vamps,” Bobby said, 

Sam wiped at his face and looked up. “It was, yes.”

“How did you make it out alive?”

“He fought,” Dean said proudly.

“Must have been some fight,” Bobby said wonderingly.

Sam coughed and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yeah.”

“Where did you get the IV set up?” Bobby asked. “I’ve not seen gear like that in years,”

“Me and Dean went to a hospital,” Jack said.

“That must have been some fight, too,” Charlie said. “Hospitals are carefully guarded.”

“It was,” Dean said, looking proudly at Jack. “Jack kicked angel and reaper ass.”

“A reaper?” Bobby asked looking interested.

“Yeah,” Dean said. “We knew her from our world. Her name was Billie. A real piece of work.”

Bobby nodded thoughtfully. “Reapers are mostly allied with the angels. We had one on our side, woman named Tessa, but Michael took her out himself. It was a hell of a loss for us.”

Dean remembered Tessa as she had been before she’d lost her mind under the force of the crowded veil. He could imagine her as a ferocious fighter. He was pleased but surprised she had allied herself with the good guys. She’d been all about the rules when he’d met her.

“So, what’s your plan?” Charlie asked, her voice businesslike.

“We have another archangel with us,” Dean said. “Gabriel. And we have the archangel blade.”

“ _Another_ archangel?” Bobby said, sounding amused. “That’s some high-flying friends you boys have got. If your plan is to pit Gabriel against Michael, what do you need Lucifer for?”

“His grace,” Sam said. “Gabriel went through some stuff on our side, and he’s pretty much drained. We need him topped up if he’s going to fight Michael.”

“And you’re using Lucifer as a juice box,” Charlie said. “That’s clever. And kinda perfect. Lucifer did a fair amount of damage here before Michael took him down, and I’m guessing you guys have stories to tell, too.”

“We do,” Sam said seriously.

“So that’s why you want Michael,” Bobby said.

“Yes,” Dean said. “Do you know where he is?”

“Afraid not,” Bobby said. “He was based in the Barrens but Mary and Jack said he’s moved on. I don’t know where he went. We’ve not had any scout stories of him in a long time. Most of my people try to stay the hell out of his way.”

Dean raked a hand over his face in frustration and cursed. They needed Michael if they were going to make this work. There was no point powering Gabriel up without anything to aim him at.

“That don’t mean it’s over,” Bobby said. “We don’t know where he is yet, but we can track him down with a little help.”

“Help?” Mary asked. “What are you thinking?”

Bobby and Charlie exchanged a dark look, seeming to come to some agreement. “How opposed are you to outright torture?” Bobby asked.

Dean’s eyes found Sam and he sent him an apologetic look as he said, “We’ve had some experience with it.”

“Then I say we find ourselves an angel and hope they’re feeling chatty,” Bobby said.

Dean felt all eyes on him as he cleared his throat and said, “I can help with that.”

He didn’t want to tap into that part of himself, he never did, especially not in front of his mother, but if that was what had to be done, he was pretty sure he was the most qualified person there to do it.

“You think you can keep a hold of an angel for us, Jack?” Bobby asked.

“I can,” Jack said confidently.

“Or Gabriel can help,” Castiel said. “Do you have more chains here, Mary?”

“I’ve got handcuffs,” Bobby said. “But they’re not going to lock an angel down.”

“With some of Gabriel’s additions they will,” Dean said. “Cas, will you go swap out with him?”

“Of course,” Castiel said and quickly walked from the room.

After a moment, Gabriel swept inside. “Bobby Singer!” he said expansively. “Good to see you again. Feels like just yesterday your other self and I were trying to kill each other.”

Bobby looked startled. “I tried to kill you?”

“I was a trickster at the time,” Gabriel said. “And there was provocation, but yeah,”

Bobby huffed a laugh. “A trickster, huh. I always wondered what his story was.”

“You knew Gabriel here, too?” Sam asked interestedly.

“Yeah. He came in around the end and tried to help. He didn’t last long.”

“I was on the side of good?” Gabriel looked amused, “How did that work out? Let me guess, Michael killed me.”

“Yeah,” Charlie said with a grin. “He didn’t take it well when you killed Raphael.”

 _“I_ killed Raphael,” Gabriel said, sounding stunned.

 “Yeah, He was targeting the first colonies we were trying to build. You were a regular hero,” Bobby said. “And from what I hear, you’re going to be one again this time.”

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “I am indeed. Call me Gabriel the Great and Good.”

Sam laughed and shook his head. “How about we come up with something else when it’s over.”

“You don’t like Great and Good, Sam?” Gabriel asked, a glint in his eye.

Dean clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s kinda a mouthful, Gabriel.”

Gabriel tapped his chin. “True. We’re going to have to come up with something though, I’m not doing all this for nothing.”

“No,” Sam said seriously, looking him in the eyes. “You’re not.” His eyes moved from Gabriel to each face in the room, his message clear. Gabriel was, they all were, doing it for each other and the world.

xXx

Dean and Sam were in the cabin while Gabriel and Jack were retrieving an angel for them to question and the others were with Lucifer. Dean understood that Charlie and Bobby were curious about Lucifer, having never met him in this world. He had been killed shortly after being freed, when the world was in the first throes of being destroyed.

Sam was thoughtful and quiet as he sipped his bottle of water, and Dean was giving him time to think in peace. He was thinking, too. He was about to tap into a side of himself that he preferred to leave neglected: the part of himself he had brought out of hell. They needed information from an angel, and he was going to get it for them, but he wished he could do it some other way. Even if Mary wasn’t in the same room while he worked, she was going to know what was happening. She would know what he was capable of. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Sam asked, breaking the silence eventually.

“Sure,” Dean said. “I’ll be fine.”

“It sounded like Bobby knew about interrogation, too. Maybe it doesn’t need to be you,” Sam said.

Dean shook his head. “It does and you know it. I have the stripes in this. I’ll be able to get what we need fast.”

“What about Mom?”

“It’ll be fine,” Dean said.

The truth was that he had realized he was disappointed by the different side of herself Mary had shown lately. Perhaps it would hurt her to see just what the hunting life had done to him, how it had changed him from the little boy she liked to imagine, but Dean wasn’t going to change himself to hide that side for her sake. Sam accepted it as a part of him as Dean did some of the things Sam had done in the past. They did that because they were family. She needed to accept them too.

There was a shout outside the cabin and Dean and Sam made for the door. Outside, Dean saw that Jack and Gabriel were back with a cuffed and hooded angel held between them. It looked like a female, though she wore the same fatigues he’d seen other angels wearing. They dragged her to the cabin and past Sam and Dean inside.

Dean went inside in time to see Jack slam the angel into the chair and Gabriel bind her hands to the back supports.

“One angel trussed and ready to go,” Gabriel said with satisfaction.

“Let’s take a look,” Dean said, reaching for the hood and pulling it up and off the angel’s face. He gasped as he recognized her. “Gabriel,” he said. “Go switch out with Cas. He needs to be here for this.”

“You know her?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes,” Dean said darkly. “This is Naomi.”

He stared down at the angel, and she looked up at him with dignified interest. “Do I know you?” she asked.

“Maybe not,” Dean said. “But I know you and what you do. You primed my friend to betray us and kill me. You brainwashed him. That’s not something you forgive easily.”

“Oh, wow,” Gabriel said. “I’ll get Castiel.”

Dean heard voices outside the cabin, talking quietly, and then someone touched his shoulder. He turned and saw Sam beside him.

“You okay?” he asked.

Sam nodded. “You?”

“To be honest, this just got about a hundred times easier,” Dean said.

Naomi in their world might have come around to help them in the very end, warning Dean about the last trial, but she had been selfishly motivated. She’d been trying to stop Castiel working with Metatron. Everything she had done before that to Castiel had been purely her. Dean _hated_ her, no matter how Castiel felt about it and her reappearance in Heaven. He was going to get the information from her and he was going to take his time doing it.

“What do you want from me?” Naomi asked,

“We want to ask you a few questions,” Dean said, walking around her to the desk and picking up the angel blade there. He pressed it to the hollow of her throat and said, “And you’re going to answer them.”

“You seem to know me in some way,” she said. “Which means you know what my role in Heaven was. If you think you scare me, you’re wrong. I am a being far superior to you in every way.”

“You’re nothing,” Sam said.

“Naomi!” a startled voice said.

Dean turned and watched as Castiel came into the cabin and stopped in front of her.

“Castiel,” she said, sounding stunned. “What are you doing with them? I heard you were dead, that the abomination killed you.”

“Jack?” Castiel said, looking from her to Jack. Jack looked devastated and he and Dean watched Castiel make the connection. 

“That wasn’t Cas,” Dean said. “That was your world’s dick version of him. And it wasn’t Jack.” He looked at Castiel. “It was me.”

Castiel’s eyes widened and for a moment he looked hurt, but he quickly schooled his expression in to a neutral mask and said. “I am not of this world. The version that died obviously deserved it.”

“Do you really believe that?” Naomi asked. “Aren’t you a little upset that your friend here was able to look into your eyes and kill you?”

“I’m sure Dean made the right choice,” Castiel said loyally. 

Dean felt like an asshole. He had done the right thing killing this world’s version of Castiel, but he had made a mistake not being honest with Castiel about it, He would have understood. 

Bobby came in and looked at the angel. “Nice work, kid,” he said, looking at Dean. “I see you’re ready. You want to start the party, or shall I?”

“I will,” Dean said. “Jack, will you go keep an eye on Lucifer with Gabriel? Take my mom with you.”

Jack nodded and left the cabin.

“Cas, do you want to be here for this?” Dean asked.

“I can if you need me,” Castiel said, “I have no score to settle with her though. No version of Naomi has power over me now.”

“Then maybe go keep an eye on the others,” he said. “Sammy?”

Sam sat down on the edge of the cot. “I’m staying.”

Dean understood he wanted to see some version of her to pay for what she had done to Castiel, so he just nodded and lifted the tip of the blade to Naomi’s cheek.

“Where is Michael?” he asked.

Naomi glared at him. “I am telling you nothing.”

With two quick flicks, Dean cut from her eyes down her cheeks, drawing lines of blood and bleeding grace.

“Let’s try that again,” Dean said, lowering the blade to the hollow of her throat. “Where is Michael?”

“Go to hell!”

He jabbed the blade in and drew it down her chest.

“Let’s give you a clear canvas,” Bobby said, stepping forward and tearing open the buttons of her jacket, revealing a white vest and expanse of skin just waiting for the blade.

“Thanks,” Dean said. “Now, where were we?”

Naomi stared into his eyes with hatred and Dean stared back at her.

“Where is Michael?” he asked.

“I will never tell you,” she sneered.

Dean rested the blade against her collarbone and pressed in to break the skin. “You will,” he said. “The only question is how much you’ll hurt before you do.”

He pressed in deeper and drew the blade down. She cried out in pain, and Dean smiled grimly. He was going to get the information they needed to save this world, and in the process he was going to get some form of revenge for what the other version of this angel had done to his friend.   


	11. Chapter 11

Naomi was bleeding from countless wounds, and Sam could tell she was close to breaking. He recognized the look in her eyes as he had felt that way himself. It was easy to start out strong under the knife, refusing to give in and beg, but there always came a point when it became impossible to resist the urge. Naomi was almost at that point. Sam just wished she would give in already. He didn’t want Dean to have to do this anymore.

He had stayed in the cabin for two reasons. First, he wanted to see Naomi get what she deserved, but more importantly, he wanted Dean to understand that there was no shame in what he was doing. He knew Dean didn’t want do this, no matter what he had said he felt in Hell when working on the souls. He was just doing a job, one that Sam didn’t think he would have been able to do himself. 

“One more time,” Dean said, drawing the tip of the blade from the corner of Naomi’s right eye and down her face. “Where is Michael?”

Sam knew that was one of the worst places to be hurt. Any threat to the eyes was great. As bad as it was to see what was happening to you, it was worse to be tortured in darkness. Lucifer had liked to take Sam’s eyes.

 “Why would I tell you?” Naomi asked, panting through pain.

“Because if you do, I’ll stop,” Dean said. “If you don’t talk, I am going to just keep cutting away at you.”

 Naomi turned her head away and fixed her eyes on Sam. Perhaps she thought he was the weak link, as Bobby had been vocal about encouraging Dean whereas Sam had stayed in silent support.

He waited for her to speak, but before she could, Dean turned her face away with the blade so she was facing him again.

“You’re not giving me much of a choice,” she said. “I’m dead either way, aren’t I?”

“Like the humans you’ve attacked are,” Bobby said bitterly.

“I didn’t hurt anyone,” she said. “I am just a clerk.”

“You’re a monster,” Dean said. “You’ve got to be a part of Michael’s command. You were powerful in our world, screwing with the other angels’ heads. There’s no way you’re a grunt here.”

“I am!”

Dean sighed and shook his head. “I hate liars, especially people that look into my eyes while lying to me. I’m going to have to do something about that.” He pointed the tip of the blade at her right eye and slowly moved it forward.

“Stop!” she screamed. “I’ll tell you.”

“Go ahead,” Dean said, not lowering the blade. “I’m listening.”

“He’s in The Void!” she said.

“The Void?” Dean asked, looking at Bobby. “You know where that is?”

Bobby nodded. “It’s about as cheerful a place as the name. It’s what used to be Montana and Idaho. It’s where Michael and Lucifer started their battle, when they were both strong and going for the full effect. It was almost completely destroyed. You think this place is bad? It’s nothing compared to the Void.” He fixed his attention on Naomi. “Where in the Void?”

“He has an old ski resort in Big Sky,” she said. “It’s where he takes reports from the generals now.”

“You know it?” Dean asked Bobby,

“I knew it before the end of the world. There is a resort there that I can see Michael taking over. I think she’s telling the truth.”

“I am,” Naomi said. “Now, get that blade away from me.”

Dean looked from Bobby to Sam. “What do you think?”

“End it,” Sam said. “If she’s lying, we’ll just get another angel and start again.”

Bobby nodded. “Put her down.”

Dean drew back the blade and shoved it through her chest. White light burned in her eyes and mouth and a high-pitched whine cut through the air. When Dean pulled the blade out of her, she slumped in the chair, dead.

The door flew open and Castiel burst in, his eyes wide. “What did you do?” he asked,

“Killed the dick angel,” Dean said. “Why?”

“Because she put out a distress call when it happened,” Gabriel said, following Castiel into the cabin. “Me, Jack and Cas heard it.”

“What does it matter?” Bobby asked. “She’s dead now.”

“It matters because Michael will know we’re coming for him,” Gabriel said.

Sam’s eyes widened. “Is he going to move? Have we lost him?”

“I doubt it,” Gabriel said. “He probably doesn’t think we’re really a threat, and he doesn’t know I’m here. He’s expecting Jack. He’ll be ready though, and that means angels.”

“Jack can handle them,” Dean said confidently.

“We hope,” Gabriel said.

“If he can’t, you can,” Bobby said, “You’re an archangel after all. And if he knows we’re coming, we better get our butts moving. How exactly do we get the grace out of Lucifer and into you?”

“That’s the easy part,” Gabriel said. “You boys ready?”

“More than ready,” Sam said, pushing himself up off the cot and making for the door. Dean followed him out. Mary, Cas and Jack were there, and as they approached they turned followed them with their eyes. Mary and Jack watched Dean carefully, and Dean stiffened. Sam guessed they were thinking of the sounds they’d heard from the cabin while Dean had been questioning Naomi. He couldn’t see judgment in their faces, but there was something there that bothered him. Dean didn’t need whatever it was on top of what was already happening, especially not from their mom.

“Mom, can I talk to you for a moment?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said, walking towards him.

Sam walked back into the cabin. When she was in, he closed the door behind her. 

Mary’s eyes found the dead angel in the chair, and she looked mildly revolted. Sam cleared his throat and she dragged her eyes from the angel to him. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I want to talk about Dean,” Sam said.

“Is he okay?”

“He will be,” Sam said. “But he just did something really hard in order to get us the information we need. That was rough on him, but he’s going to be okay because he has to be. He needs you to be okay, too.”

“I am,” she said, clearly confused.

“Then you need to show it. It was hard for him to do that with you here, so prove that it hasn’t changed anything for you.”

Her face fell into lines of guilt. “How do I do that?” she asked quietly.

Sam couldn’t understand how she didn’t understand that already. If he understood, why didn’t she? “You need to be a mom,” he said. “Show him with what you do that things are okay still. He needs that.”

He watched her absorb the words and nod to herself then he opened the door and walked slowly across the compound to Dean’s side where he stood opposite Lucifer. “What was that about?” Dean asked.

“Just needed a minute,” Sam said.

“You feeling okay?” Dean asked.

Sam nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are we ready?” Gabriel asked, cutting off Dean’s concerned queries.

Sam nodded, fixing his eyes on Lucifer. “Let’s do this.”

Mary came to them and stood on Dean’s other side. She reached for his hand and entwined their fingers. Dean looked startled, but as he caught Mary’s eye and she smiled at him, he returned it tentatively.

“What exactly are you doing?” Lucifer asked. “I can’t help but notice the whole gang is here, and you all look pretty serious. Is it time to set me free so we can go after Michael? I heard your little pet’s distress call.”

“We’re not letting you free, Lucifer,” Sam said. “We’re taking something from you.”

“What?” Lucifer asked interestedly.

Gabriel slid the archangel blade into his hand and stepped towards Lucifer. “Your grace.”

Lucifer laughed. “Haven’t we done that already? It didn’t work out very well for you.”

“We don’t want it for a spell this time,” Dean said. “This time you’re going to give Gabriel a top up and _he_ is going to kill Michael.”

“And here’s the thing, Lucifer,” Gabriel said. “This time, we’re taking it all.”

Lucifer gaped at him. “You wouldn’t.”

Sam huffed a laugh. “We wouldn’t strip you of all your grace and make you human? Make you one of the things you hate so much? You’re dead wrong, Lucifer. This time, we all win and you lose.”

Lucifer began to struggle against his chains, his face twisted with anger. “I won’t let you to this to me!” he shouted.

“Stop us then,” Sam said calmly. “Oh, that’s right. You can’t.”

“I swear if you do this, you will regret it, Gabriel,” Lucifer snarled. “I will make you all pay.”

Sam shrugged. “You won’t have a chance. We’re killing Michael then we’re coming back for you.”

Lucifer glared at him with more hatred than he had even shown him in the Cage. Sam started back at him without fear. Lucifer could do nothing to him now.

“I will see you dead, Sam Winchester,” he threatened.

“Whatever,” Sam said.

“Gabriel, let’s do this,” Dean said, and Sam could tell that the threat had affected him even if it hadn’t Sam himself. 

Gabriel bent in front of Lucifer and brought the blade to his throat. Lucifer strained away, but he couldn’t escape. His eyes widened fearfully as Gabriel cut the skin of his throat and the grace began to bleed out of him. Sam had taken satisfaction seeing this happen before, knowing it was taking Lucifer’s strength and opening a door for them, but now it was so much more potent. This was the end of Lucifer as he’d known him.

Gabriel opened his mouth and tilted his head back. The grace slipped from Lucifer and into Gabriel in a light show that was almost too bright to watch. Sam saw it happen through squinted eyes, and he saw the moment the last of the grace disappeared into Gabriel and Lucifer sagged in his chains with blood trickling from the wound on his throat. Gabriel had a hand raised towards Lucifer and his eyes squeezed shut.

“Gabriel?” Sam said tentatively. “Are you okay?”

Gabriel nodded and straightened up. For a moment, his eyes blazed with blue-white light and Sam thought something had gone horribly wrong, but then his eyes cleared and he grinned.

“Not just okay, Sam. Damn awesome!” he said.

Sam laughed softly. “It worked?”

“I’m brimming over with grace and feel like I could take on anything, so I’d say it worked.”

“Awesome,” Dean said. “We better get going then. You good for a ride?”

 “Sure,” Gabriel said. “Climb aboard the Archangel Express.”

There was a low laugh, and then Lucifer spoke, his voice weaker than Sam had ever heard. “You’re all going to die. Michael is going to shred Gabriel to pieces in the sky and then he will come back for you all.”

Sam stepped forward and bent down to Lucifer’s face. “Fuck you,” he sneered, then swung out a fist at Lucifer and slammed it into his jaw. Lucifer’s head rocked to the side and then he fell forward unconscious. Sam felt a surge of triumph that became horror when he swayed and Dean steadied him and spoke.

“Mom, you need to stay with Sam.”

“What?” Sam and Mary asked at the same time.

“You need to stay with Sam,” Dean said again.

“I’m not staying here,” Sam said, taking in his mother’s stunned expression. He could tell she liked the idea no more than he did.

“Sammy,” Dean said consolingly. “This is going to be dangerous. I know you’re feeling better, but you’re not back at full power yet. It won’t be safe for you.”

“So?” Sam asked. “When are we ever safe?”

Dean looked hesitant and Mary said, “Sam can come and just stay back from the actual fight. He’ll be fine.”

Dean glared at her, betrayed. “You really think that or are you just worried about saving everyone else?”

“Dean,” Sam said. “It’s doesn’t…”

“It matters,” Dean interrupted angrily. “She’s choosing strangers over us _again_ , Sam.”

“That’s not it,” Mary said quickly. “I’m thinking of Sam.”

Dean looked furious, but Sam didn’t feel any anger, just disappointment. Perhaps it was because he had no memory of her as a child, but he could accept that Mary wasn’t like them. Whereas Dean and Sam would give anything for each other, she would put more before few. She was a hunter the way they perhaps should be. Dean could still remember her when she and John had been his whole childish world. He wanted that feeling of devotion again. That wasn’t the Mary that had been brought back. Sam didn’t like it, but he understood it.

“If you were thinking of him, you’d be staying and protecting him,” Dean spat. 

“I don’t need…” Sam started, and then he trailed off. He could see the fear in Dean’s eyes, and the need in his mother’s. Dean was scared for him and Mary was scared for the people around them. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about him; it was that she cared too much for everyone.

“You died, Sam,” Dean said softly.

Sam sighed as he realized this wasn’t about what he wanted; it was about them all. He _had_ died, and Dean had had to live with that knowledge for the hours it took him to get back to them. He had to put his brother first. If Dean needed him to stay back, he would have to.

“I get it,” he said.

“Sammy,” Mary said gently.

Sam shook his head. “No. I mean, yeah. I’m in no shape to fight. It’s fine. I’ll stay back. You should do what you need for these people. You guys go.”

Dean stared into his eyes, and Sam tried to hide how deeply he felt the denial. He was going to have to watch the people he loved go off to fight, and he would be left alone to wait for them to return. He would have no idea what was happening to them while they were gone. He wouldn’t be able to help them. Of course that would be true whether he was there or not; he wasn’t strong enough.

“We should hurry,” Gabriel said. “The longer we give Michael, the more angels he’s going to amass.”

Dean looked torn. Sam didn’t understand why. He has said he would stay now. What else did Dean need? What he didn’t understand, Castiel did.

“I will stay with Sam,” he said. “I can keep him safe. I want to.”

Sam stiffened. He didn’t want to be kept safe, and he didn’t want to deny his family a fighter. “No,” he said. “If I’m not coming, you are _all_ going. I’m not taking someone out of the fight to babysit me. Maybe I can’t join you against Michael, but I can stay here and do what I have to for myself.”

“I can’t leave you here alone,” Dean said.

“You can,” Sam said. “Trust me, Dean. I can handle it.”

Dean seemed to be grappling for words to argue, but Gabriel spoke. “Then you’re going to need a weapon.” He bent and lifted Lucifer’s floppy arm. He reached up his sleeve and pulled out a long silver angel blade. It was longer than any Sam had seen before, and he knew at once that it was something more powerful than he had ever handled. It was Lucifer’s own archangel blade. Gabriel held it out to him. “Mind you don’t cut yourself. It’s sharp.”

Sam shook his head in the face of Gabriel’s attempt at humor. “Thanks. I’ll be careful.”

“Load up people,” Gabriel said. “Angel blades all around.”

Dean pulled his from his inside pocket. “I’m ready.”

“I’ll get some more,” Mary said, walking to the cabin with Jack.

Dean gestured and jerked his head. “Come with me a minute,” he said.

Sam followed him away from the group and then frowned as Dean came to an abrupt halt. “What…” he started, and then cut off as Dean dragged him into a hug. He patted his back and then smiled as Dean pulled away.

“You better be safe when I get back, Sammy, or I swear to god I’ll…” He trailed off as he struggled to find a suitable threat.

“I’ll be fine,” Sam said. “You’re the ones facing off against an archangel. I’ll probably just go have a nap.”

Dean forced a laugh. “Sounds good to me. Maybe track down some beers for when we get back.”

“Not sure I’ll be able to find beer here,” Sam said. “But we can split a candy bar,”

Dean nodded. “The beer can wait until we get home then.”

“Dean,” Gabriel called, and Sam saw Bobby, Charlie, Mary were waiting with angel blades ready in their hands, Jack standing with them.

“I better go,” Dean said.

“Okay,” Sam said heavily. “See you real soon.” Dean turned and started to walk away, but Sam caught his arm. “Don’t be too mad at Mom, okay?”

Dean frowned. “How can you not be mad?”

Sam shrugged. “I understand it. She’s not like us.”

“She’s our mom. She should be.”

“She was gone too long,” Sam said in explanation. “It’s not the same for her.”

Dean shook his head. “Whatever, man.”

Dean walked back to the group of fighters and Sam smiled as Mary waved a hand in farewell to him. He tried to hide how scared he was at the sight of them preparing to leave. He wished he was going with them. He didn’t think time would move at all for him until they were back. 

“See you on the flipside, Sam,” Gabriel called.

“Yeah, see you all soon,” Sam said.

He turned the blade in his hand, trying to look confident and calm for them, but that was the moment all hell broke loose and calm and confidence was lost in panic.

They were coming.


	12. Chapter 12

The sky blazed as balls of blue-white light powered towards them and hit the ground like bombs exploding. When the dust and dirt cleared, angels were revealed, standing tall with their blades in hand. There was a moment in which no one moved, and then the angels sprang at them. Sam lost track of what was happening to everyone else as a tall angel with olive skin stalked towards him.

Sam brought up the sword in his hand, and the angel’s eyes widened.

“Where did you get that?” he asked.

“Gift from an old enemy,” Sam said. “He didn’t need it anymore.”

“That is an archangel blade.”

“It was an archangel I took it from,” Sam said. “Maybe you’ve heard of him. His name’s Lucifer. He’s now the human chained to a tree.”

Seemingly against his will, the angel’s eyes darted to Lucifer, and Sam used his moment of distraction to push himself forwards. He thrust out with the blade and the angel looked back in time to see Sam line it up with his throat. The angel laughed, apparently unconcerned. 

“You think you can kill me? I can sense your weakness. You have no right to be on your feet even.”

“I guess I’m stubborn,” Sam said.

The angel brought up his blade slowly, tauntingly, and Sam clenched his teeth and thrust forward with the blade in his shaking hand. The tip pierced the angel’s throat and he looked startled that Sam dared to actually attack. With a surge of strength born of need, Sam shoved his arm forward, impaling the angel on his blade and squinting at the blaze of light. He pulled back his arm, and the angel dropped to the ground, dead.

Sam felt a momentary triumph and then the sounds of battle around him penetrated his hearing. He looked around and saw each member of his family in combat. Dean was jabbing out at an angel that danced away from his strikes with a gleeful expression. Charlie was pitted against a female, and Mary and Bobby were each fighting an angel apiece with expressions of fury. Gabriel was battling three of them at once, and Jack was reaching for angels and turning them to dust with clenches of his fists.

The moment Sam took in the chaos around him was the moment the angel struck. He felt a blow on the back of his head and he fell forward, his vision swimming. He managed to keep his grip on the blade in his hand, and rolled over to look up at his attacker. It was a female angel and her face was twisted with fury.

“You killed Inias,” she snarled.

Sam jabbed up with the archangel blade, and it cut across her wrist. She gasped in pain and snatched back her hand. Sam used her distraction to force himself upright, fighting against the weakness he was feeling, but she kicked at him, her foot colliding with his chest. He was knocked back as the air rushed out of him and his chest throbbed with pain. He tried to roll away, to get to his feet, but she kicked him again and he fell backward, his head hitting the ground hard. Through streaming eyes, Sam looked up at her and saw her bring the blade up in both hands, poised above his chest right over his heart.

“Sam!” The voice was strained and scared, and Sam looked away from the angel and his impending death to find his brother.

Dean had lost his fight, too. He was held pinned by an angel with a blade at his throat. Mary, Charlie and Bobby were pinned, too, each at the mercy of the angel holding them, and Gabriel had stopped fighting with the archangel blade raised in front of him, holding off potential attackers. The people from the camp were all held at knifepoint, too, their faces terrified. Jack’s hands were raised, but his eyes were darting from person to person, as if unsure of whom to defend. 

Sam felt a wave of fear at the sight of all the people he loved in danger that almost crippled him. He felt suddenly as weak as he had the moment he had arrived at the compound and had fallen into Dean’s arms. He wasn’t strong enough to stop them. Even if he wasn’t weak, he would he helpless against so many angels.

“Give us the blade or they all die,” one of the angels said, fixing his eyes on Gabriel.

“I don’t think so,” Gabriel said.

“Fine,” the angel that appeared to be in change said. “Watch them die them. Hester, start with the weak one.”

The angel above Sam lifted her blade and began to plunge it down. Sam closed his eyes and waited for the pain to come, hearing his name being shouted by his family. He couldn’t look at them at the point of death. He couldn’t see their faces again.

But the pain didn’t come. He opened his eyes and saw the angel that had been poised over him had risen into the air as if pulled by invisible wires. There was a golden glow around her. Sam looked to Dean, and saw the angel that had been holding him was raised up and surrounded by the glow, too. They all were. Every enemy angel there was being held up in the golden glow.

“Do it, Jack!” Dean shouted.

Sam turned to Jack in time to see him clench his shaking hands into fists with a roar of anger. A wind like force swept through the compound and the golden light disappeared. The angels became dust that was whipped away. The blade that had been poised over Sam fell down at his side. He grabbed it and struggled to stand. He was barely upright before strong arms were around him and Dean’s voice was speaking in his ear. “You’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” Sam said, his voice weakened by the blows to the chest.

Dean held him at arm’s length. “That was too close.”

Sam looked past him to Jack who looked stunned at what he had done. “Are you okay, Jack?” he asked.

“No time,” Gabriel said. “Sam, you’re coming with us. If more angels show up, you’re dead.”

Dean’s hand tightened on Sam’s arm, and Sam prepared himself for the feeling of displacement that came with an angel’s momentum, but it didn’t come. Gabriel’s eyes widened and a moment later Sam was flying through the air as a blast of light the size of an SUV landed a few feet away from him. He landed hard, and once more he felt the air knocked out of him. He opened his eyes, but he could see nothing through the dust and earth the collision had sent into the air.

“Dean?” he choked. “Dean!”

His hand scrabbled on the dirt around him, and he felt something warm and solid, a hand. He gripped it and felt it squeeze him back.

“I’m here, Sammy,” Dean said. “It’s okay.”

Sam struggled to stand, still clinging onto his brother as the dust cleared. Dean hauled him upright, and they stood side by side as the figure of a dark skinned man came into view through the dust.

Dean tugged Sam back a step and released his hand to pick up the archangel blade from where it had fallen when Sam had been knocked back. He slapped it against Sam’s chest and Sam took it. Dean picked up another blade. Sam looked past the newcomer to where his mother stood on the opposite side of the blast zone. Bobby and Charlie were beside her, and they looked more scared than anyone. Sam assumed it was because of the new angel that had arrived. He thought he knew who it was.

“Michael,” Gabriel said in a measured tone.

“Gabriel,” Michael said. “You’re here, too. This other world is a place of wonders if you still live there. I only had the pleasure of killing you once. I am looking forward to doing it again.”

“You’ll try,” Gabriel said. “You’ll lose. You might want to take a look at what I’ve got before you start throwing threats around.” He lifted the golden blade in his hand.

Michael looked startled for a moment before he schooled his expression into neutrality. “Is that what I think it is?” he asked.

“It’s _The_ Archangel Blade,” Gabriel said.

“I have been looking for that a long time,” Michael said.

“And yet I found ours,” Gabriel said. “You’re not much with the searching, are you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Michael said. “I killed you and Lucifer without it. I will do it again.”

“You really won’t,” Gabriel said.

“You’re forgetting who you’re talking to, little brother. I am stronger than you. I always have been.”

“And Lucifer was stronger than me,” Gabriel said. “So I cut his throat and took his grace.”

Michael looked past Gabriel to the spot the slowly rousing Lucifer sat chained to the tree. “Is he human?” he asked.

“He is,” Gabriel said. “What do you think? Should I kill you or make you human, too? You and Lucifer can spend the rest of your lives knocking around apocalypse world like a bad buddy cop movie.”

Michael snapped his wrist up and a long blade fell into his hands. “You have no chance, Gabriel.”

“Let’s test that, shall we?” he asked. He thrust out his hand, palm up, and a shockwave like blast hit Michael, forcing him back a few steps with a sound like thunder. Dean grabbed Sam’s arm and pulled him away from Michael and toward the trees. Sam moved with him but his eyes were fixed, mesmerized, on the scene in front of him. 

“That almost hurt,” Michael said mockingly.

“I’m just getting started,” Gabriel said, thrusting out his hand again and sending another thunderous blast at Michael.

Michael took the hit and then sent one of his own in return. It seemed to hit Gabriel’s shoulder, as he jerked one arm back, but he wasn’t knocked away as Michael had been.

Sam watched, awed, as the two archangels faced off, and then squeezed his eyes shut as Gabriel bought up both hands and sent another wave of power at Michael. The sound as it landed seemed to press in on Sam’s eardrums, and he raised his hands to cover his ears.

He felt Dean’s arm press against his, and he opened his eyes to see Dean was talking to him, through it was muffled. He lowered his hands, and heard Dean saying, “It’s okay, Sammy. It’s going to be okay.”

Sam nodded and started to answer, but there was a sound like boulders colliding above his head as Gabriel ran at Michael, the blade held in his hands. Dean grabbed Sam’s arm and dragged him away. They ran together away from the battling archangels to where Mary, Castiel, Jack and the others were standing watching the scene in front of them. 

Mary reached for them both, grabbing their hands and pulling them towards her. Sam wrapped an arm around her back and felt her trembling. Dean stood on her other side, and pulled her close to him, any anger that he had felt before apparently vanished in the moment of fear and wonder.

There were crashes and roars as Michael and Gabriel did battle. Their movements were so fast Sam could barely follow them, and with each blow, the dirt at their feet billowed up, half concealing them.

“Come on, Gabriel,” Sam muttered. “Come on.”

There was a thudding sound that Sam felt in his bones and he stumbled back a few steps. Castiel caught him and steadied him. He looked for Gabriel and Michael and saw Gabriel was standing over the fallen Michael.

“Close your eyes!” Gabriel bellowed.

Sam obeyed, covering them with his hands for good measure, and he heard a roar and then a whine on the air like light made voluble. He almost expected to find his ears bleeding from the sound. A wave of heat rushed over his face and the ground shook like it was in an earthquake as Gabriel shouted again. “Jack!”

Unable to resist, Sam opened his eyes and looked at his friend to see him bend down and press his hands to the shaking earth. The tremors seemed to end at the point Jack stood; it was almost as if he was absorbing them.

“Brace yourself!” Gabriel yelled, and Sam felt strong hands gripping his shoulders. He looked back and found Castiel holding him. He was grateful for the support, as his legs began to weaken as the earth shook. He looked forward again and saw Gabriel standing, panting, over the bloodied body of Michael with the bloodied archangel blade held in his hands. Spread under Michael and reaching out across the compound were the shadows of enormous wings.

“Jack?” Gabriel asked.

“I’ve got it,” Jack said in a hoarse voice. 

Sam looked at him in time to see Jack lift his hands from the ground and point them into the sky. A shockwave seemed to blast from him up into the sky. Through the gaps in the trees Sam saw the clouds clear as the force Jack was sending up at them hit.

It seemed to last forever, but eventually the earth stilled and Jack lowered his hands.

“What the hell was that?” Dean asked.

“Remember how the prize fight was supposed to take out a chunk of the earth?” Gabriel said.

“Yeah,” Dean said

“Well, that was our buddy Jack saving this earth.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Bobby said in an awed voice.

Jack shook out his arms as if releasing tension. “No problem.”

“It’s over?” Dean asked. “He’s dead, I mean?”

Gabriel looked down at his brother’s corpse and nodded. “It’s over.”

There was a beat of silence and then, like a wave breaking over them all, whoops of triumph and celebration erupted in the air from the people in the camp. Sam saw Mary and Jack embrace, and Bobby being pounded on the back by Charlie. Sam grinned at them, seeing their victory and appreciating it for what it was for them—everything they had fought and their friends had died for.

Dean clapped Sam on the shoulder, “You okay, Sammy?” he asked.

Sam nodded. “Look at them.” 

Dean looked from face to face, taking it all in.

“It’s different,” Castiel said.

“Yes,” Sam said. “It is.”

They’d had their triumphs before, their moments of victory, but they’d never celebrated like this as there was always a cost for them, some new nightmare to live with each time as a price for the win. These people were celebrating the salvation of their world, and it was something special to witness. This was how it felt when saving the world really was a win.

Gabriel walked away from the body of his brother and came to stand with them. Sam saw his face was dirt smudged and pale, and his eyes were tired.

“You okay, Gabriel?” he asked.

“Me? I’m fine. I just killed a dick and saved the world.”

“You did,” Sam agreed.

Gabriel rolled his shoulder. “Damn, that feels good. Why didn’t you guys tell me how good it felt? I would have done it a long time ago.”

“Would you have listened to us if we’d tried?” Sam asked.

Gabriel considered. “No. Probably not. Come on. Let’s join this party.” He threw himself into the melee of celebrating people and received their hugs and slaps on the back with a huge grin.

“Gabriel just saved the world,” Dean said.

“Yes,” Castiel said seriously. “He did.”

“He did good,” Sam said.

Dean nodded and cleared his throat. “Right. Good. Let’s get our asses home.”

Sam looked at his mother’s happy face as she hugged Bobby and he nodded. He thought they would need to give her a little time to be with the people she had fought to stay with and save, but then he thought they would be able to go home as a family. Him and Dean, Mary and Jack, Castiel and even Gabriel. They could go back and find a way to save their Heaven for their own world.

Their fight, after all, wasn’t yet over. 


	13. Chapter 13

Sam walked to where Lucifer was chained to his tree and kicked his leg. “Wake up, Lucifer!” he said harshly.

Lucifer opened his eyes. “Not sleeping, Sammy. Just resting my eyes. I was awake to watch that whole fight go down. I was really rooting for Hester to take you out, but my boy got in there and saved you all. I knew he was going to be special.”

“He is,” Sam said. “More special that you could ever hope to be, especially since you’re human now.”

Lucifer winced.

“Don’t like hearing it?” Sam asked. “It’s what you are. Do you think your dad will love you more now you’re one of us? He always did prefer humanity.”

“Shut your mouth!” Lucifer spat.

Sam grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“You know nothing about it.”

“I know plenty,” Sam said, satisfied by the former angel’s distress.

Dean came over to them and looked down at Lucifer with hatred. “What are we going to do with him?” he asked,

Sam shrugged. “We’ll have to talk about it together.” He turned and saw that Mary and Jack were still celebrating with their friends. “We don’t have to interrupt them though.”

“We’re in no rush, I guess. We only have Heaven to save,” Dean said dourly.

“We will,” Sam said. “There’s got to be a way.”

“I could help with that,” Lucifer said slyly. “Sure, I’m not an archangel anymore…”

“Or any kind of angel,” Dean interjected.

“But if you can get me some grace, I can be an angel again, bolster the troops upstairs.”

Dean laughed. “Do you really think we’re that stupid?”

“Well, all evidence points towards it, yes,” Lucifer said.   

Sam kicked him hard and he cried out in pain. The sound drew the eyes of the celebrating group, and Mary, Jack, Bobby and Gabriel drifted over to them.

“Are we playing Guantanamo Bay?” Gabriel asked. “If so, sign me up.”

“We’re deciding what to do with him,” Sam said. 

“What do you want to do, Sam?” he asked. “I think you have earned the deciding vote in this.”

“We can kill him,” Dean said.

“Or we can strip him of all memories and leave him to wander the earth as a vagrant,” Castiel suggested, coming to stand with them. “I have lived that life. It is not a good one.”

Sam considered. He did want Lucifer dead, but he wanted him in pain more. If he was dead, it would be over for him. He wanted him to really suffer.

“I think we should leave him as he is,” Sam said. “If he forgets what he was, he won’t know what he lost. If we kill him, it’s over. We can leave him to live as a human; I can’t think of a worse fate for him.”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t I?” Sam asked.

“I’m on board with that,” Gabriel said. “I think he could do with the lesson of living a human life.”

“What do you think, Jack?” Mary asked.

“Whatever you think will hurt him more,” Jack said edging closer to Sam so that it was clear where his loyalty lay.

“Do you want to take him back with you?” Bobby asked. “Cause if you don’t, we can handle him here.”

“Are you sure?” Sam asked.

“Of course,” Bobby said. “We’ll keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn’t get himself into trouble. We have handcuffs still. It will be a pleasure even. We never had our revenge on our Lucifer. This’ll make up for it.”

Sam considered. Lucifer had wanted to bring their world to its knees, with humans obliterated. He’d failed, and this world wasn’t everything he’d hoped for, but Sam thought leaving him to live as a human here was an appropriate fate for him. If they kept him prisoner, there was no chance of him getting grace from an angel.

“Sammy?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. He can stay here as a prisoner,” Sam said.

Bobby rubbed his hands together. “Perfect. I’ll enjoy this, and I know a few more people that will, too.”

“Thank you, Bobby,” Sam said.

Bobby waved away his thanks. “It’s for me as much as it is for you guys.”

“What are you going to do now that it’s over?” Mary asked him.

“It’s not over,” Bobby said. “We’ve still got work to do. Jack didn’t kill every angel in this world. They won’t be such a threat now since they have no leader to organize them, so we should be able to pick them off pretty easy. We have plenty of swords to make bullets out of. Work it might be, but it’ll be a pleasure, too. What about you? You want to stay and help with the clean up?”

Sam’s eyes darted to his mother and he saw her forlorn expression. He thought he knew her answer. She did want to stay. She wanted to leave them. His heart ached. He had understood her needing to see the Michael fight through to the end, but it was over now. Shouldn’t she want to come home with them? Weren’t they enough?

“Mom?” Sam prompted as Dean glared at her.

“I want to go home with my boys,” she said quietly.

Sam’s mouth dropped open and Dean stiffened beside him.

“I’ve made some bad choices since I was brought back,” she said. “Though I thought they were the right ones at the time. I’ve let my boys down more than once. I didn’t see it clearly until that angel had me and I thought I would never have the chance to make it right. I’d like to use this chance to do that now.” She looked from Sam to Dean, her smile tentative. “What do you think?”

“I think I’d like that,” Dean said, and Sam nodded.

Bobby looked disappointed. “Jack, what about you? Do you want to add some firepower to our fight?”

“I would,” Jack said. “But there is a fight waiting for us at home, too. Heaven needs to be saved, and if it can’t, we’re going to need as much firepower as we can get there to deal with the souls that are released.”

Dean nodded his agreement. “That’s a lot of spirits that will eventually turn vengeful.”

“That’s fair enough,” Bobby said. “If you change your minds, you know where we’ll be.”

“Let’s go then,” Gabriel said cheerfully.

Bobby hugged Mary and clapped Jack on the back. “It was a pleasure fighting with you,” he said, then turned to Sam and Dean. “And it was good to see you again. You two keep on keeping on. I hope things work out for you back home.”

“Thank you, Bobby,” Sam said, looking into the familiar eyes with the different awareness behind them. “Good luck to you, too.”

“Don’t need luck,” Bobby said. “Not while I’ve got my people with me. We’ll clean up and then start rebuilding. I might not see it through in my lifetime, but there are enough of us left to make this place a home again. It will work out eventually.”

“Are you ready, Jack?” Dean asked.

“Yes,” Jack said.

“Hold up,” a voice shouted behind them. Charlie ran toward them, a wide smile on her face. “You’re not going without saying goodbye, are you?”

Dean grinned at her. “Wouldn’t dare.”

Charlie hugged Mary and Jack and then addressed Sam and Dean. “It was good to meet you guys. You’re pretty badass.”

“So are you,” Sam said.

“And the other me?” Charlie asked.

“She was more than badass,” Dean said seriously. “Our Charlie was a hero.”

Sam nodded solemnly.

“Liking her more and more,” she said with a grin. “Later, bitches.”

Sam swallowed down the lump in his throat. “Goodbye, Charlie.”

She bounced away and Bobby cleared his throat gruffly and followed her.

“Now?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” Mary said seriously. “Take us home.”

Jack closed his eyes and his expression became concentrated. When his eyes opened, they were glowing gold. Sam followed his gaze and saw the golden tear appear in the air. It stretched and lengthened into a rift.

“Here goes,” Gabriel said, marching forward and disappearing through the rift. Mary glanced around the camp one last time and then followed him. Castiel went after her, leaving Jack, Dean and Sam alone.

“Ready, Sammy?” Dean asked.

“Almost,” Sam said. He looked past Dean to Lucifer where he sat chained to the tree. He was staring back at Sam with hatred, and Sam smiled at him. “Goodbye, Lucifer,” he said, and then walked into he rift.

He landed heavily on the floor, feeling the ache of his injuries from the fight. He rolled out of the way of the rift and took Castiel’s offered hand to get to his feet. Dean landed hard behind him, and then Jack came through. The rift pulsed and then shrank into nothing.

Sam looked around him. They had arrived in the library of the bunker. Rowena was sitting at the desk surrounded by open books and an almost empty bottle of whiskey.

“You’re back,” she said, sounding stunned.

“We are,” Dean said.

“Did I do that?” she asked.

“Not exactly,” Sam said.

“I opened the rift,” Jack said.

“Oh,” she said. “I can stop now then?”

“Yes, Rowena,” Sam said. “You can stop.”

She got to her feet and wavered slightly. “That’s good, I’ve had a wee bit too much to drink and think I need to have myself a lie down.”

She took two steps away from the table and then pitched forward. Gabriel jumped forward and caught her before she hit the floor. He scooped her into his arms, saying, “Easy, Red. Let’s get you somewhere to sleep it off.”

He carried her out of the room towards the bedrooms.

Dean laughed. “Looks like she had a party without us.”

“She was trying to get us home,” Sam said, examining the spines of the books she’d been reading. “She was helping.”

“Rowena helping,” Dean said. “Still not used to that idea.” He shook his head and pointed a finger at Sam. “Now, you get your ass to bed. You may not need a doctor anymore, since you were strong enough to take out an angel, but you still need to rest and recover.”

It was on the tip of Sam’s tongue to protest, but then a wave of lethargy swept over him and he knew he needed to accept what Dean was saying and do the sensible thing for once.

“Okay,” he said. “Don’t let me sleep too long.”

“I’ll wake you in a few days,” Dean said.

Sam waved a hand at him and started away. He had gone a few steps before someone caught his arm. He turned back and Mary wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Sam held her in return, feeling the loss when she pulled back. “Thank you for coming for me, boys,” she said, looking between Sam and Dean.

“Thank you for coming back,” Sam said.

She smiled sadly. “I realized this is where I belong.”

“You do,” Dean said seriously. “We need you. It’s not over yet.”

“Heaven could fail,” Castiel said dourly.

“Exactly,” Dean said. “We never seem to stop saying this, but we’ve got work to do.”

Sam nodded as he patted his mother’s arm and started away again. It wasn’t over. They needed to save Heaven still, but for a little while he was going to just stop and rest. He was going to get back on his feet properly, and then they could save the world again, fighting together as a family.

It was everything he thought he could want now. Family.  


End file.
